Durvalumab is an immune checkpoint inhibitor that blocks pd l1, thereby restoring anti-tumor T-cell activity and reducing immune escape. It is used across several solid tumors, including advanced endometrial cancer, gastric/gastroesophageal junction cancer, gallbladder cancer, and muscle-invasive bladder cancer, and it has been studied in perioperative and adjuvant settings. In DUO-E, durvalumab was tested with chemotherapy, with or without olaparib, in advanced endometrial cancer, while MATTERHORN reported significant improvements in event-free survival and overall survival with perioperative durvalumab plus FLOT in gastric/GEJ cancer. It is also approved for adults with muscle-invasive bladder cancer as neoadjuvant therapy with gemcitabine and cisplatin, followed by single-agent adjuvant treatment after radical cystectomy. Recent literature also describes synergy with XCT790 in gallbladder cancer, where the combination suppressed tumor growth and increased intratumoral T-cell infiltration. Overall, the drug is notable for being part of regimens that reduced the risk of disease progression or death in multiple disease settings.
Endometrial Cancer
- A plain-language summary of DUO-E evaluated durvalumab with chemotherapy, with or without olaparib, in advanced endometrial cancer. (PMID:41943281)
- The study supports durvalumab as a pd l1-blocking immunotherapy in this disease context. (PMID:41943281)
Gastric / Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer
- MATTERHORN showed that perioperative durvalumab combined with FLOT was associated with significant improvements in event-free survival and overall survival in gastric/GEJ cancer. (PMID:41960736)
- A 2026 review highlighted these results as practice-changing for gastrointestinal cancers. (PMID:41960736)
Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer
- The FDA approved durvalumab for adult patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin as neoadjuvant treatment. (PMID:41678313)
- After radical cystectomy, single-agent durvalumab was used as adjuvant treatment. (PMID:41678313)
- The approval summary frames durvalumab as an immune checkpoint inhibitor in the perioperative setting. (PMID:41678313)
Gallbladder Cancer
- Durvalumab combined with XCT790 was reported to synergistically suppress tumor growth in gallbladder cancer. (PMID:41791643)
- The same study found enhanced intratumoral T-cell infiltration, consistent with improved anti-tumor immunity. (PMID:41791643)
- The paper linked this effect to PD-L1 upregulation and immune escape biology in gallbladder cancer. (PMID:41791643)