Groundbreaking Approval of Durvalumab for Gastric Cancer Treatment

AstraZeneca Pharma India announced a significant medical breakthrough as it received national health regulator approval for Durvalumab, used alongside chemotherapy, to treat gastric cancer. The combination is recognized for its potential to improve perioperative immunotherapy treatments.

The approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation allows the combined use of Durvalumab and FLOT chemotherapy—comprising fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and docetaxel—as the first perioperative immunotherapy for adults with resectable gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma.

This development is backed by the MATTERHORN study, highlighting an urgent need for more effective perioperative options given the high recurrence rates. India's high incidence of gastric cancer underlines the importance of these advancements, as it is the seventh most common cancer in the country.