- AstraZeneca
- 02 April 2026 09:38:43
Source: Sharecast
The FTSE 100 drugmaker said the combination met the primary endpoint of progression-free survival compared with TACE alone, while an interim analysis also showed a trend toward improved overall survival, a key secondary endpoint.
It said the investigational regimen uses the STRIDE approach, combining a single priming dose of tremelimumab with durvalumab, administered before and alongside TACE, with or without lenvatinib.
AstraZeneca added that although not formally tested at this stage, data from the arm evaluating STRIDE plus TACE without lenvatinib also indicated strong trends toward improved progression-free and overall survival compared with TACE alone.
The trial remained ongoing, with further follow-up planned for overall survival and other secondary endpoints.
“Dual immunotherapy with durvalumab and tremelimumab in the STRIDE regimen represents a meaningful advance for patients with embolisation-eligible liver cancer, who currently lack systemic treatment options to keep their cancer from progressing or recurring, with a trend of improving survival,” said Ghassan Abou-Alfa, attending physician at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and principal investigator in the trial.
“EMERALD-3 shows we can now significantly reduce the risk of disease progression with STRIDE as the immunotherapy backbone alongside lenvatinib and TACE.”
The company said the safety profile of the combination was consistent with the known profiles of the individual medicines, with no new safety signals identified.
“EMERALD-3 now shows that bringing the dual immunotherapy STRIDE regimen earlier, alongside TACE and lenvatinib, can further improve outcomes in earlier-stage liver cancer,” commented Susan Galbraith, executive vice president of oncology haematology R&D at AstraZeneca.
“This builds on the HIMALAYA Phase III trial data in patients with advanced, unresectable disease, where the STRIDE regimen has already demonstrated durable overall survival benefit.
“We are discussing these positive data with global regulatory authorities while awaiting the final results from the key secondary endpoints.”
Hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common form of liver cancer, affects a significant patient population, with more than 200,000 people expected to be eligible for embolisation treatment in 2026.
AstraZeneca noted that while embolisation is a standard-of-care procedure, most patients experience disease progression or recurrence within six to 10 months.
The EMERALD-3 trial enrolled 760 patients across 171 centres in 22 countries, comparing combinations of Imfinzi, Imjudo and lenvatinib alongside TACE against TACE alone.
AstraZeneca said the data would be presented at an upcoming medical meeting and shared with regulators.
At 0919 BST, shares in AstraZeneca were up 0.35% at 15,074p.
Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.
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