Pooled post hoc analysis of two phase 2 trials of durvalumab-based treatment for recurrent or metastatic pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma

Pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma (PSC) is characterizaed by high PD-L1 expression, suggesting a potential therapeutic benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitors. Pooled analysis of two South Korean phase 2 trials investigated efficacy of durvalumab-containing combination therapy in patients with recurrent or metastatic (R/M) PSC. Overall, 33 patients were included, of whom 66.7% had a PD-L1 tumor proportion score (TPS) ≥ 1% and 45.5% had a PD-L1 TPS ≥ 50%. The overall response rate was 33.3% (95% CI 18.0-51.8) and the disease control rate was 72.7% (54.5-86.7). The median progression-free survival was 5.4 months (95% CI 2.8-9.4) and the median overall survival was 15.7 months (11.3-NE). PD-L1 expression was not associated with response or survival outcomes. The authors conclude that durvalumab-containing combination therapy showed promising efficaccy in patients with R/M PSC, irrespective of PD-L1 expression.