FDA approves Imfinzi for unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer.- AstraZeneca + MedImmune.

AstraZeneca and MedImmune announced that the FDA has approved Imfinzi (durvalumab) for the treatment of patients with unresectable Stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose disease has not progressed following concurrent platinum-based chemotherapy and radiation therapy (CRT).

The approval of Imfinzi for the treatment of stage III, unresectable NSCLC was based on a randomized trial of 713 patients whose cancer had not progressed after completing chemotherapy and radiation. The trial measured the length of time the tumors did not have significant growth after starting treatment with Imfinzi or a placebo (progression-free survival). The median progression-free survival for patients taking Imfinzi was 16.8 months compared to 5.6 months for patients receiving a placebo. In addition, the sponsor has agreed to a post-marketing commitment to provide additional information from their study to the FDA about how long patients lived following treatment with Imfinzi after chemotherapy and radiation (overall survival). Common side effects of Imfinzi in patients with stage III unresectable NSCLC include cough, fatigue, inflammation in the lungs (pneumonitis/radiation pneumonitis), upper respiratory tract infections, difficulty breathing (dyspnea) and rash.

Comment: Until now, treatment guidelines have recommended that patients with unresectable Stage III lung cancer undergo a period of active surveillance following chemoradiation therapy until disease progression. Given that up to 89% of patients will progress to metastatic disease, it is important that there is now a new option that can give patients more time without disease progression.