An AstraZeneca immunotherapy improved survival rates in patients with bladder cancer, results that could reshape treatment of muscle-invasive tumors.

AstraZeneca Plc’s Imfinzi extended the lives of patients with bladder cancer, potentially opening up a new market for the blockbuster medicine.

In patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer, Imfinzi reduced the risk of disease recurring by 32% when given alongside the current standard of care, interim analysis of a late-stage trial found. The medicine also reduced the risk of death by a quarter when added to current treatments such as chemotherapy and surgery,

AstraZeneca’s Phase 3 study in bladder cancer, showed that giving Imfinzi — before and after surgery — cut the risk of death.