Biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca plc (STO:AZN) (LON:AZN) (NYSE:AZN) on Monday reported positive results from the EMERALD-3 Phase III trial evaluating IMFINZI (durvalumab) in combination with IMJUDO (tremelimumab-actl), lenvatinib and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) eligible for embolisation.

Patients in the investigational arms were treated with the STRIDE regimen (Single Tremelimumab-actl Regular Interval Durvalumab), with or without lenvatinib, prior to TACE and then in combination with TACE thereafter.

In a planned interim analysis, the STRIDE regimen with lenvatinib and TACE reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 30% versus TACE alone, with a median progression-free survival of 13.0 months compared with 9.8 months.

A positive overall survival trend was also observed in favour of the STRIDE regimen with lenvatinib and TACE versus TACE alone, while additional analyses showed clinically meaningful improvements in both progression-free and overall survival versus TACE alone.

In a comparison of investigational arms, the lenvatinib-containing regimen showed a progression-free survival benefit in patients with non-viral etiology, while the study continues to evaluate overall survival and other endpoints.

Safety results were consistent with known profiles, with grade 3 or higher adverse events occurring in 71.4% of patients in the STRIDE plus lenvatinib and TACE arm, 64% in the STRIDE plus TACE arm, and 28.6% in the TACE-only arm.