WILMINGTON, DE — AstraZeneca announced new data from its Phase III MATTERHORN trial showing that its immunotherapy IMFINZI (durvalumab), when used in combination with standard FLOT chemotherapy, reduced the risk of death by 22% in patients with early-stage gastric and gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancers compared to chemotherapy alone.
The findings, presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2025 in Berlin, mark the first perioperative immunotherapy approach to demonstrate a survival benefit in this patient population. Results showed that nearly 69% of patients treated with the IMFINZI-based regimen were alive three years after treatment, compared with 62% receiving chemotherapy only.
Dr. Josep Tabernero, principal investigator of the trial and director of the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology in Barcelona, called the results “transformative,” noting that recurrence remains common even after surgery and chemotherapy. “Nearly seven in ten patients treated with the durvalumab-based perioperative regimen were alive at three years, and the survival benefit was observed regardless of PD-L1 status,” Tabernero said. “With results like these, this novel treatment should become the new standard of care in this curative-intent setting.”
Susan Galbraith, executive vice president of oncology R&D at AstraZeneca, said the findings could change how early gastric and GEJ cancers are treated. “This is the first immunotherapy-based perioperative regimen to significantly extend survival in this setting,” she said. “These results illustrate our strategy to move novel treatments into early-stage cancers where cure is possible.”
The trial enrolled 948 patients across 20 countries and evaluated perioperative IMFINZI plus FLOT chemotherapy administered before and after surgery. In addition to overall survival, previous results from MATTERHORN showed a 29% reduction in the risk of disease progression, recurrence, or death, reinforcing IMFINZI’s potential role as a cornerstone therapy for resectable gastric cancer.
The data add to AstraZeneca’s growing portfolio of immuno-oncology innovations, positioning IMFINZI as a leading immunotherapy agent across multiple cancer types.
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