PBAC endorses IMFINZI (durvalumab) for advanced biliary tract cancer in Australia. First new treatment in 10+ years, boosting survival rates.

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News Release – Update

AstraZeneca Austalia
18 August 2023

We are pleased that IMFINZI (durvalumab) for Biliary Tract Cancer has been given a positive recommendation from PBAC for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic biliary tract cancer in combination with chemotherapy (gemcitabine and cisplatin). Imfinzi is the first and only registered immunotherapy in unresectable or metastatic BTC and is the first new medication in over a decade for the 1L treatment of patients in the advanced stages of this disease.

BTC has one of the worst survival rates of all cancers in Australia, with a median survival of less than one year with only 1 in 5 people diagnosed with BTC surviving five years.

Announcement:

“The PBAC recommended the listing of durvalumab for the treatment of advanced biliary tract cancer. The PBAC considered that durvalumab in combination with chemotherapy provides a moderate improvement in overall survival and a small improvement in progression free survival compared to chemotherapy alone. The PBAC considered that the amendments made in the resubmission, including changes to the economic model and a reduced price had sufficiently addressed the Committee’s previous concerns. The PBAC considered the utilisation remained overestimated and advised assumptions regarding uptake rate, proportion of patients with performance status 0 or 1 and proportion of patients with liver cancer who have intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma should be revised.”

Download PBAC Announcement (Pdf)