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The FDA granted breakthrough therapy designation to IMFINZI for limited-stage small cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC) following chemotherapy and radiation therapy given together (cCRT). Breakthrough therapy designation is given to a medication that may offer a substantial improvement over the current treatments for a serious disease or condition. In 2024, the FDA approved IMFINZI to treat LS-SCLC that has not progressed after platinum-based cCRT.

In addition, IMFINZI is a treatment option for previously untreated extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) together with chemotherapy.*

*Etoposide and either carboplatin or cisplatin.

IMFINZI is an immunotherapy

IMFINZI is a type of cancer treatment that works with your body’s immune system to help fight cancer. IMFINZI may cause the immune system to attack healthy cells. People will receive IMFINZI in different ways, depending on their stage of SCLC. Keep reading to learn how other treatments work with IMFINZI to help your body fight cancer.

IMFINZI works together with other treatments

Treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation can support the work of IMFINZI to help fight cancer.

  • Chemotherapy is a key step in the SCLC journey

    To treat limited-stage SCLC, you’ll receive platinum-based chemotherapy at the same time as radiation therapy (cCRT). This is called chemoradiation therapy. After that, you may be able to receive treatment with IMFINZI.

    To treat extensive-stage SCLC, you’ll first receive chemotherapy* together with IMFINZI. Next, you’ll receive IMFINZI by itself.

  • Radiation therapy is a key step in LS-SCLC treatment

    Radiation therapy uses high-energy X-rays to destroy the DNA in cancer cells. Cancer cells with damaged DNA eventually die. People living with LS-SCLC will receive radiation therapy together with chemotherapy before receiving IMFINZI.

*Etoposide and either carboplatin or cisplatin.

How chemotherapy works to help fight SCLC

Chemotherapy is a treatment that destroys fast-growing cells in the body.

    Meet the key players

  • Healthy Cell Icon for SCLC

    Healthy cell

  • Unhealthy Cell Icon for SCLC

    Unhealthy cell

  • Immune System Icon for SCLC

    Immune system

  • Cancer Cell Icon for SCLC

    Cancer cell

  • Chemotherapy Icon for SCLC

    Chemotherapy

Function of Immune System Illustration

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The immune system serves as your body’s defense system against infections and diseases, and can typically detect and destroy unhealthy cells.

Function of Unhealthy Cells Illustration

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Unhealthy cells, if not detected and destroyed by the immune system, may eventually turn into cancer.

Function of Cancer Cells Illustration

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Cancer cells grow abnormally and multiply quickly. This is where chemotherapy, a type of cancer treatment, can help.

Function of Chemotherapy Illustration

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Chemotherapy has the ability to destroy rapidly growing cells—such as cancer cells— throughout the body.

Since chemotherapy can destroy fast-growing cells, healthy cells may also be affected.

How IMFINZI works to help fight SCLC

IMFINZI is an immunotherapy treatment that works by helping your body’s immune system. IMFINZI may also affect healthy cells.

    Meet the key players

  • Key Player Healthy Cell Icon

    Healthy cell

  • Key Player Immune System Icon

    Immune system

  • Key Player IMFINZI Icon

    IMFINZI

  • Key Player Cancer Cell Icon

    Cancer cell

Role of Cancer Cells Illustration

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When cancer cells appear in your body, your immune system works to recognize and attack them.

Role of PD-L1 Protein Illustration

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PD-L1 is a protein that disguises cancer cells from the immune system.

Role of IMFINZI Blocking Cancer Cells Illustration

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IMFINZI works by binding to and blocking PD-L1 to remove the disguise…

Role of IMFINZI Treatment Illustration

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…so your immune system is better able to find and attack these cancer cells. There is a chance that IMFINZI may affect healthy cells, too.

Learn more about IMFINZI for LS-SCLC Learn more about IMFINZI for ES-SCLC

Important Safety Information

What is the most important information I should know about IMFINZI® (durvalumab)?

IMFINZI is a medicine that may treat certain cancers by working with your immune system. IMFINZI can cause your immune system to attack normal organs and tissues in any area of your body and can affect the way they work. These problems can sometimes become severe or life-threatening and can lead to death. You can have more than one of these problems at the same time. These problems may happen anytime during treatment or even after your treatment has ended.

What is IMFINZI?

IMFINZI is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with a type of lung cancer called SCLC.

  • IMFINZI may be used alone when your LS-SCLC cannot be removed by surgery and has responded or stabilized after initial treatment with chemotherapy that contains platinum, given at the same time as radiation therapy.
  • IMFINZI may be used with the chemotherapy medicines etoposide and either carboplatin or cisplatin as your first treatment when your SCLC has spread within your lungs or to other parts of the body (extensive-stage small cell lung cancer, or ES-SCLC).

It is not known if IMFINZI is safe and effective in children.

Call or see your healthcare provider right away if you develop any new or worsening signs or symptoms, including:

  • SCLC Lung Problems Icon

    Lung problems: cough, shortness of breath, and chest pain

  • SCLC Intestinal Problems Icon

    Intestinal problems: diarrhea (loose stools) or more frequent bowel movements than usual; stools that are black, tarry, sticky, or have blood or mucus; and severe stomach-area (abdomen) pain or tenderness

  • SCLC Liver Problems Icon

    Liver problems: yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes, severe nausea or vomiting, pain on the right side of your stomach area (abdomen), dark urine (tea colored), and bleeding or bruising more easily than normal

  • SCLC Hormone Gland Problems Icon

    Hormone gland problems: headaches that will not go away or unusual headaches; eye sensitivity to light; eye problems; rapid heartbeat; increased sweating; extreme tiredness; weight gain or weight loss; feeling more hungry or thirsty than usual; urinating more often than usual; hair loss; feeling cold; constipation; your voice gets deeper; dizziness or fainting; and changes in mood or behavior, such as decreased sex drive, irritability, or forgetfulness

  • SCLC Kidney Problems Icon

    Kidney problems: decrease in your amount of urine, blood in your urine, swelling of your ankles, and loss of appetite

  • SCLC Skin Problems Icon

    Skin problems: rash; itching; skin blistering or peeling; painful sores or ulcers in mouth or nose, throat, or genital area; fever or flu-like symptoms; and swollen lymph nodes

  • SCLC Pancreas Problems Icon

    Pancreas problems: pain in your upper stomach area (abdomen), severe nausea or vomiting, and loss of appetite

  • SCLC Other Organ Problems Icon

    Problems can also happen in other organs and tissues. These are not all of the signs and symptoms of immune system problems that can happen with IMFINZI. Call or see your healthcare provider right away for any new or worsening signs or symptoms, which may include: Chest pain, irregular heartbeats, shortness of breath or swelling of ankles; confusion, sleepiness, memory problems, changes in mood or behavior, stiff neck, balance problems; tingling, numbness or weakness of the arms or legs; double vision, blurry vision, sensitivity to light, eye pain, changes in eye sight; persistent or severe muscle pain or weakness, muscle cramps, joint pain, joint stiffness or swelling; and low red blood cells and bruising

  • SCLC Severe Infusion Reactions Icon

    Infusion reactions that can sometimes be severe or life-threatening. Signs and symptoms of infusion reactions may include: chills or shaking, itching or rash, flushing, shortness of breath or wheezing, dizziness, feel like passing out, fever, and back or neck pain

  • SCLC Transplant Complications Icon

    Complications, including graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), in people who have received a bone marrow (stem cell) transplant that uses donor stem cells (allogeneic). These complications can be serious and can lead to death. These complications may happen if you underwent transplantation either before or after being treated with IMFINZI. Your healthcare provider will monitor you for these complications

Getting medical treatment right away may help keep these problems from becoming more serious. Your healthcare provider will check you for these problems during your treatment with IMFINZI. Your healthcare provider may treat you with corticosteroid or hormone replacement medicines. Your healthcare provider may also need to delay or completely stop treatment with IMFINZI if you have severe side effects

Before you receive IMFINZI, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

  • have immune system problems such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, or lupus
  • have received an organ transplant
  • have received or plan to receive a stem cell transplant that uses donor stem cells (allogeneic)
  • have received radiation treatment to your chest area
  • have a condition that affects your nervous system, such as myasthenia gravis or Guillain-Barré syndrome
  • are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. IMFINZI can harm your unborn baby

    • Females who are able to become pregnant:

    • Your healthcare provider will give you a pregnancy test before you start treatment with IMFINZI.
    • You should use an effective method of birth control during your treatment and for 3 months after the last dose of IMFINZI. Talk to your healthcare provider about birth control methods that you can use during this time.
    • Tell your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant or think you may be pregnant during treatment with IMFINZI.
  • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if IMFINZI passes into your breast milk. Do not breastfeed during treatment and for 3 months after the last dose of IMFINZI.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

What are the possible side effects of IMFINZI?

IMFINZI can cause serious side effects (see above):

The most common side effects of IMFINZI when used alone in adults with limited-stage small cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC) include inflammation in the lungs and feeling tired or weak.

The most common side effects of IMFINZI when used with etoposide and either carboplatin or cisplatin in adults with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) include nausea, hair loss, and feeling tired or weak.

Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of IMFINZI. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for more information.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects related to AstraZeneca products.Report side effects related to AstraZeneca products If you prefer to report these to the FDA, either visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects related to AstraZeneca products.Report side effects related to AstraZeneca products If you prefer to report these to the FDA, either visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

What is IMFINZI?

IMFINZI is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with a type of lung cancer called small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

  • IMFINZI may be used alone when your LS-SCLC cannot be removed by surgery and has responded or stabilized after initial treatment with chemotherapy that contains platinum, given at the same time as radiation therapy.
  • IMFINZI may be used with the chemotherapy medicines etoposide and either carboplatin or cisplatin as your first treatment when your SCLC has spread within your lungs or to other parts of the body (extensive-stage small cell lung cancer, or ES-SCLC).

It is not known if IMFINZI is safe and effective in children.

Please see Full Prescribing Information including Medication Guide for IMFINZI.

What is IMFINZI?

Important Safety Information

What is the most important information I should know about IMFINZI® (durvalumab)?

IMFINZI is a medicine that may treat certain cancers by working with your immune system. IMFINZI can cause your immune system to attack normal organs and tissues in...

IMFINZI is a medicine that may treat...

Read full Important Safety Information

Important Safety Information

What is IMFINZI?

Minimize Expand

IMFINZI is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with a type of lung cancer called SCLC.

  • IMFINZI may be used alone when your LS-SCLC cannot be removed by surgery and has responded or stabilized after initial treatment with chemotherapy that contains platinum, given at the same time as radiation therapy...

What is the most important information I should know about IMFINZI® (durvalumab)?

IMFINZI is a medicine that may treat certain cancers by work...

IMFINZI is a medicine that may treat certain cancers by working with your immune system. IMFINZI can cause your immune system to...

Read full Important Safety Information