United Kingdom-based AstraZeneca's Imfinzi (durvalumab) has improved overall survival (OS) in patients with earlier untreated extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC) in the phase III Caspian study, it was reported yesterday.

The product along with four cycles of standard-of-care chemotherapy, indicated a statistically-significant and clinically-meaningful improvement in OS against standard-of-care, including up to six cycles of chemotherapy and optional prophylactic cranial irradiation.

It is a human monoclonal antibody that binds to PD-L1 and blocks the interaction of PD-L1 with PD-1 and CD80. It is intended to help counter the tumour's immune-evading tactics and releases the inhibition of immune responses.

Caspian is a randomised, open-label, multi-centre, global and phase III study in the first-line treatment of patients with extensive-stage SCLC. With OS as the primary endpoint, the study is being carried out in over 200 centres across 22 countries, including the US, Europe, South America, Asia and the Middle East.