What kind of medicine is Imfinzi

Imfinzi is another name for durvalumab, a PD-L1 inhibitor developed by the British company AstraZeneca. This article mainly describes the indications, usage and dosage of durvalumab to help patients better understand this drug.

What is Imfinzi?

The other names of durvalumab include Imfinzi, Infinifer, durvalumab, durvalumab, etc.

What is Imfinzi?

Imfinzi is a humanized monoclonal antibody that can bind to PD-L1 protein and relieve the inhibition of immune T cells by tumor cells. Imrvalumab was launched in China in 2019 and has not yet been included in medical insurance. The price of the original drug is about US$664 per box, and generic drugs are already on the market in China.

The indications of durvalumab include consolidation therapy for unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer, combined chemotherapy for extensive stage small cell lung cancer, and first-line treatment for advanced biliary tract cancer. The specifications are divided into 500mg/10ml and 120mg/2.4ml. They need to be stored at 2-8°C away from light.

Who should use Imfinzi with caution?

Pregnant women using imfinzi may cause abnormal fetal development. Strict contraception is required during treatment and for 3 months after stopping the drug. Breastfeeding women should suspend breastfeeding. The safety of medication for children has not been fully verified and requires specialist evaluation. Elderly patients do not need to adjust the dosage, but they need to strengthen cardiopulmonary function monitoring.

Usage data for patients with moderate to severe hepatic insufficiency (total bilirubin > 3 times normal value) or renal insufficiency (creatinine clearance < 30 ml/min) are limited, and it is recommended to administer with caution.

Usage and dosage of Imfinzi

The treatment plan needs to be formulated according to the type of tumor and the individual situation of the patient. The following are general guidelines.

Standard treatment regimen

Patients with unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer are treated with 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks or 1500 mg every 4 weeks (body weight ≥30 kg) until disease progression or 12 months. Patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer are treated with 1500 mg of chemotherapy every 3 weeks, followed by single-drug maintenance. Please consult a professional doctor for specific treatment options.

Principles for dose adjustment

If grade 2 pneumonia or hepatitis occurs, administration should be suspended and resumed at half the dose after symptoms are relieved. Immunological adverse reactions of grade 3 or above require permanent discontinuation of the drug. If the infusion reaction is mild, the infusion rate can be reduced by 50%. If the reaction is severe, stop it immediately. The prepared solution should be stored at 2-8°C for no more than 28 days and avoid repeated freezing and thawing.

Durvalumab may cause immune-related pneumonia, thyroid dysfunction and other reactions, so physical changes need to be closely observed.

Precautions for Imfinzi

Specific risks need to be prevented in advance, and the following content needs to be fully communicated between the patient and the medical team.

Immune-mediated adverse reactions

Pneumonia manifests as shortness of breath or persistent cough. Patients need to undergo chest CT examination immediately. After diagnosis, the doctor will give prednisone treatment. Some patients may experience adverse reactions such as colitis. If they have more than 6 bowel movements and abdominal pain, they need to suspend medication and provide intravenous fluid rehydration. In addition, there are thyroiditis, myasthenia gravis, etc. Please consult your doctor for specific treatment measures.

Embryo-fetal toxicity

Animal experiments show that durvalumab can cause fetal development retardation and is contraindicated in pregnant patients. Women of childbearing age need to take a pregnancy test before treatment, and use double contraceptive measures during treatment, such as condoms + oral contraceptives.

Daily care requires keeping the injection site clean, and observing for redness, swelling, heat and pain within 24 hours after infusion. Monitor body temperature and defecation frequency at home, and record the time when abnormal symptoms occur.