WILMINGTON, DE — AstraZeneca reported that its drug combination including IMFINZI and IMJUDO, used with lenvatinib and transarterial chemoembolization, improved progression-free survival in patients with unresectable liver cancer eligible for embolization in a Phase III trial.
The results come from the EMERALD-3 study, which evaluated the combination against transarterial chemoembolization alone in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common type of liver cancer.
The company said the trial met its primary endpoint, showing a statistically significant improvement in progression-free survival, while interim data also indicated a trend toward improved overall survival.
Patients in the study received a regimen combining durvalumab and tremelimumab, with or without lenvatinib, before and during embolization treatment.
“EMERALD-3 shows we can now significantly reduce the risk of disease progression,” said Ghassan Abou-Alfa, a principal investigator in the trial.
The study will continue to track overall survival and other secondary endpoints.
Hepatocellular carcinoma affects a large patient population, with more than 200,000 patients expected to be eligible for embolization in 2026.
The procedure, which blocks blood flow to tumors and can deliver chemotherapy directly to the liver, is a standard treatment, though many patients experience disease progression within six to 10 months.
The safety profile of the drug combination was consistent with known effects of the individual therapies, with no new safety concerns identified.
The data are expected to be presented at a future medical meeting and submitted to regulatory authorities for review.
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