Is durvalumab (durvalumab) an immunological drug or a targeted drug and analysis of its mechanism

Durvalumab (Durvalumab) is essentially an immunological drug and is not a targeted drug in the traditional sense. It is a PD-L1 inhibitor that blocks PD-L1 and PD-1 and CD80 The combination releases the "brake" of tumors on the immune system, allowing the body's T cells to recognize and attack tumor cells again. Therefore, durvalumab is an immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) and an important representative of modern tumor immunotherapy. Unlike targeted drugs that target specific gene mutations in a precise manner, it mainly exerts its anti-cancer effect by increasing the body's own immune activity and is suitable for a wider range of people without relying on specific mutation screening.

Mechanically, durvalumab binds to the PD-L1 molecule on the surface of tumor cells, preventing it from sending the "don't attack me" inhibitory signal to immune cells. Tumors often evade immune surveillance through high expression of PD-L1 . The emergence of durvalumab breaks this immune suppression and allows T cells to regain their killing function. This immune reactivation-type anti-cancer mechanism is different from targeted drugs such as EGFR, ALK, RET, etc., which inhibit specific mutation signaling pathways. Therefore, it has a wider scope of application, a longer-lasting mode of action, and strong immune memory.

In clinical application, durvalumab is commonly used to treat locally advanced unresectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), small cell lung cancer, biliary tract cancer, etc. Especially in the PACIFIC study, it significantly extended the survival time of patients during the consolidation treatment phase after radiotherapy and chemotherapy, becoming one of the current irreplaceable immune consolidation options. Since its action logic is immune regulation rather than gene suppression, patients generally do not need to undergo genetic testing like targeted drugs before use, but pay more attention to the evaluation of PD-L1 expression status, disease stage and autoimmune system status.

In general, durvalumab is an immune drug and a typicalPD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitor. It works by relieving immune suppression and activating TCells attack tumors to exert therapeutic effects, rather than inhibiting a mutated signaling pathway. Because of its immune nature, broad applicability, and long-term survival benefits, durvalumab has become an important component of modern tumor immunotherapy and has shown increasingly mature and stable therapeutic value in multiple cancer types.

Keyword tag:

Durvalumab, durvalumab, PD-L1 inhibitors, immunotherapy, non-small cell lung cancer, NSCLC, mechanism of action, clinical indications, efficacy, safety, immune-related adverse reactions

Reference materials:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31272242/