WS Investor
16 Mar 2026, 15:08
AstraZeneca said the European Commission has approved Imfinzi (durvalumab) in combination with FLOT chemotherapy as a perioperative treatment for adults with resectable early-stage and locally advanced gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancers in the EU.
The approval is based on results from the Phase III MATTERHORN trial, which showed significant improvements in survival outcomes. Patients receiving the Imfinzi-based regimen had a 29% lower risk of disease progression, recurrence, or death compared with chemotherapy alone, while the risk of death was reduced by 22%. About 69% of patients treated with the combination were alive after three years versus 62% in the control group.
The therapy involves treatment before and after surgery followed by Imfinzi monotherapy, marking the first immunotherapy regimen approved in the EU for this early treatment setting. AstraZeneca said the approval strengthens its portfolio of perioperative cancer therapies and could establish a new standard of care for early gastric and gastroesophageal cancers.
The approval is based on results from the Phase III MATTERHORN trial, which showed significant improvements in survival outcomes. Patients receiving the Imfinzi-based regimen had a 29% lower risk of disease progression, recurrence, or death compared with chemotherapy alone, while the risk of death was reduced by 22%. About 69% of patients treated with the combination were alive after three years versus 62% in the control group.
The therapy involves treatment before and after surgery followed by Imfinzi monotherapy, marking the first immunotherapy regimen approved in the EU for this early treatment setting. AstraZeneca said the approval strengthens its portfolio of perioperative cancer therapies and could establish a new standard of care for early gastric and gastroesophageal cancers.