AstraZeneca PLC on Friday reported positive results from planned interim analysis of a phase three trial evaluating its Imfinzi drug in gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancers.

The pharmaceutical firm said the results showed that Imfinzi added to standard-of-care FLOT neoadjuvant chemotherapy demonstrated a ‘statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement’ in the key secondary endpoint of pathologic complete response versus neoadjuvant chemotherapy alone for patients with resectable, early-stage and locally advanced gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancers.

A standard-of-care FLOT regimen includes chemotherapy drugs fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and docetaxel.

‘These results demonstrate an increase in pathologic complete response after adding durvalumab treatment to FLOT chemotherapy and surgery. This is an encouraging early sign that this regimen may deliver long-term clinical benefit for these patients, as pathologic complete response has been correlated with both event-free and overall survival in multiple settings,’ said Josep Tabernero, head of the Medical Oncology Department at Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, and principal investigator of the Matterhorn trial.

AstraZeneca said the trial will now continue as planned to assess early feasibility studies and overall survival.

Shares in the Cambridge, England-based firm closed 0.9% lower at 11,568.45 pence on Friday in London.

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