AstraZeneca Plc (NASDAQ:AZN) on Monday reported Phase 3 EMERALD-3 trial results showing that its immunotherapy-based STRIDE regimen, when combined with lenvatinib and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), significantly improved progression-free survival in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (a type of liver cancer) eligible for embolization.
The data, being presented at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in Chicago, also showed an encouraging trend toward improved overall survival.
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EMERALD-3 Meets Primary Endpoint With Significant PFS Improvement
The EMERALD-3 study evaluated AstraZeneca's Imfinzi (durvalumab) and Imjudo (tremelimumab) as part of the STRIDE (Single Tremelimumab Regular Interval Durvalumab) regimen, administered with or without lenvatinib before TACE and continued alongside TACE treatment.
During a planned interim analysis, patients receiving the STRIDE regimen with lenvatinib and TACE experienced a 30% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death compared with TACE alone.
The combination achieved a median progression-free survival of 13 months, versus 9.8 months for patients treated only with TACE.
The progression-free survival benefit was broadly consistent across key pre-specified patient groups.
Overall Survival Trend Favors STRIDE Regimen
For the secondary endpoint of overall survival, investigators observed a positive trend favoring the STRIDE, lenvatinib, and TACE combination compared with TACE alone.
Although not formally tested at the interim analysis, the treatment arm evaluating STRIDE plus TACE also demonstrated clinically meaningful improvements in both progression-free and overall survival compared with TACE alone.
Median progression-free survival reached 12.9 months in the STRIDE-plus-TACE arm versus 8.1 months for TACE.
A pre-planned exploratory analysis further suggested progression-free survival improvements favoring the lenvatinib-containing regimen among patients with non-viral disease causes. The trial will continue monitoring overall survival and other secondary endpoints.
Investigators Highlight Need For New Treatment Options
Ghassan Abou-Alfa, attending physician and professor of medicine at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the trial's principal investigator, said patients eligible for embolization often require repeated localized treatments and need additional systemic therapies to delay disease progression and recurrence.
He noted that nearly one-third of patients treated with the dual immunotherapy regimen, with or without lenvatinib, remained alive and progression-free after two years.
Susan Galbraith, executive vice president of Oncology Hematology R&D at AstraZeneca, said the findings build on results from the HIMALAYA Phase 3 trial and support moving the STRIDE regimen into earlier stages of treatment.
AZN Stock Price Activity: AstraZeneca shares were down 2.69% at $180.68 at the time of publication on Monday, according to Benzinga Pro.
Photo by Piotr Swat via Shutterstock
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