AstraZeneca's Imfinzi Shows Major Gains in Gastric Cancer

AstraZeneca's Imfinzi (durvalumab) has demonstrated a significant increase in survival for early-stage gastric (GC) and gastroesophageal junction cancers (GEJC), according to new data from the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2025.

Final overall survival (OS) data from the Phase III MATTERHORN clinical trial found that the addition of the PD-L1 inhibitor, durvalumab, to standard-of-care FLOT chemotherapy in the perioperative setting reduced the risk of death.

The study recruited 948 previously untreated patients with resectable stage II, III, or IVA GC or GEJC to test the combination of Imfinzi and chemotherapy prior to surgery and for the post-operative period, followed by monotherapy with Imfinzi.

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Dr. Josep Tabernero, principal investigator and Head of Medical Oncology at Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, saud, “The MATTERHORN data are transformative for patients with early gastric and gastroesophageal cancers, where recurrence remains common and long-term prognosis is often poor despite curative-intent surgery and chemotherapy.” “

Nearly seven in ten patients treated with the durvalumab-based perioperative regimen were alive at three years, with survival benefit observed regardless of PD-L1 status. These results support this regimen as a potential new standard of care in this curative-intent setting,” he added.

Susan Galbraith, Executive Vice President of Oncology R&D at AstraZeneca, said “Imfinzi’s overall survival results, showing a 22 per cent reduction in the risk of death, have the potential to change the treatment paradigm for patients with early gastric and gastroesophageal cancers. This is the first immunotherapy-based perioperative regimen to significantly extend survival in this setting, underscoring our strategy to bring novel treatments to earlier stages of disease where cure is possible.”

The results establish the new standard of care as Imfinzi plus FLOT for early gastric and gastroesophageal cancer patients, a potential breakthrough that could reshape treatment options and make curative treatment available to many patients worldwide.