Source: Sharecast
Over a one-year period, Imfinzi, otherwise known as durvalumab, demonstrated "statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement" in the disease-free survival of patients suffering from high-risk NMIBC.
The POTOMAC trial showed that adding Imfinzi to the standard-of-care BCG induction and maintenance therapy significantly extends the time patients live without high-risk disease recurrence or progression.
"While most patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer are treated with curative intent, 80% see their disease return and almost half may require life-altering surgery to remove the bladder, underscoring the urgent need to improve treatment," said Maria De Santis, lead investigator in the POTOMAC trial.
Imfinzi is already approved in the US and other countries for patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer, and continues to be investigated across early and late-stage bladder cancer in various treatment combinations.
Cristian Massacesi, AstraZeneca's chief medical officer and oncology chief development officer, said the trial results represent a "significant advance that will potentially allow more patients with early-stage bladder cancer to benefit from this important immunotherapy".