AstraZeneca Advances Subcutaneous Durvalumab Study, Targeting More Convenient Cancer Care

AstraZeneca plc (GB:AZN) announced an update on their ongoing clinical study.

AstraZeneca Starts New Study on Easier Cancer Immunotherapy Delivery. The Phase I trial, titled “A Phase I, Multicentre, Dose Escalation and Dose Expansion Study to Investigate the Pharmacokinetics and Safety of Subcutaneous Durvalumab in Adult Participants With Solid Tumours,” will test a new under‑the‑skin version of durvalumab in solid tumour patients.

The goal is to match the drug levels seen with the current IV version while keeping safety and tolerability acceptable. This matters because a convenient subcutaneous option could improve patient access, cut chair time, and support AstraZeneca’s broader oncology growth plan.

The main interventions are subcutaneous durvalumab combined with recombinant human hyaluronidase, branded as SC durvalumab + rHu, and standard IV durvalumab. Tremelimumab is also included by IV in some patients with liver cancer, aiming to support combination immunotherapy strategies.

The subcutaneous approach is designed to deliver the same active drug as the IV form but in a shorter, simpler injection given under the skin. If exposure and safety are comparable, AstraZeneca could shift more use of durvalumab to a quicker outpatient setting, which is attractive for both patients and providers.

This is an interventional Phase I study in adults with solid tumours. Participants are randomly assigned to different dose levels, and dosing is done in sequence to find a suitable subcutaneous dose before expanding to more patients.

The trial is open‑label, meaning there is no blinding, and everyone knows which treatment is given. The main purpose is treatment focused, but the early phase design means it is primarily about dose finding, drug levels in the blood, and safety signals rather than direct survival outcomes.

The study was first submitted on 30 January 2026, showing it is a very recent addition to AstraZeneca’s pipeline. The status is “not yet recruiting,” so patient enrollment has not started, but setup work at centres is underway.

The latest update to the record came on 24 February 2026, signaling active trial preparation and protocol refinement. Primary completion and final completion dates are not yet posted, but early Phase I oncology programs typically take several years before full readout.

For investors, a successful shift of durvalumab to subcutaneous delivery could extend the product’s lifecycle and defend share against rival immunotherapies from Merck & Co. and Bristol Myers Squibb. It could also help AstraZeneca compete better where treatment convenience and infusion capacity are key constraints.

While this Phase I study will not move near‑term revenue by itself, it supports the long‑term franchise value of durvalumab and may be read as a modest positive for sentiment on AZN’s oncology strategy. The update underlines AstraZeneca’s focus on making its immunotherapy portfolio more flexible, which can be important in pricing and access talks with payers.

The study is ongoing in setup, with recruitment not yet started, and further details and future updates are available on the ClinicalTrials.gov portal.

To learn more about GB:AZN’s potential, visit the AstraZeneca plc drug pipeline page.