The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved durvalumab (Imfinzi) to treat adults with limited-stage small cell lung cancer for whom the disease has not worsened after receiving chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Imfinzi is a human monoclonal antibody that blocks a tumor's ability to evade and dampen the immune system, while also boosting the body's anti-cancer immune response, offering an alternative to chemotherapy.

In a late-stage trial, the drug showed statistically significant improvement in overall survival compared to a placebo.

Imfinzi is approved to treat several types of cancers, including extensive-stage small cell lung cancer, bile duct cancer, and non-small cell lung cancer.