Durvalumab approved for reimbursement in Ireland

In September 2025 the Health Service Executive (HSE) in Ireland approved reimbursement of the immunotherapy, durvalumab, for people diagnosed with advanced biliary tract cancers, such as cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) and gallbladder cancer. This now brings Ireland into line with the UK and other European countries which have already approved use of the treatment.

Durvalumab is recommended as a first-line option, added to the existing treatment, a combination of the chemotherapy drugs gemcitabine and cisplatin (GemCis), for people with biliary tract cancers that are locally advanced, can’t be removed through surgery, or have spread (metastasised).

About durvalumab

Durvalumab stimulates the body’s immune system to fight cancer by seeking out cells with a protein called PD-L1 on their surface and attaching to them. The immune system then recognises the marked cells and kills them. Results of the TOPAZ-1 clinical trial showed that adding durvalumab to gemcitabine and cisplatin can extend the time before a person’s biliary tract cancer progresses, increasing how long they may live.

The combination of gemcitabine and cisplatin, plus durvalumab (GEM/CIS/DURVA) is given in hospital, in the chemotherapy unit. All three drugs are injected intravenously (into a vein) through a cannula, a short thin tube. You can learn more about this treatment in AMMF’s patient information booklet:

Paul Howard, Head of Policy & Research at AMMF, said:
“Cholangiocarcinoma is a challenging cancer that is usually diagnosed late, when treatment options are limited. Therefore, we are delighted that the HSE has approved reimbursement for the life-extending therapy, durvalumab, for people diagnosed with advanced cholangiocarcinoma in Ireland. Whilst this treatment is not a cure, it can enable people to have more time with their loved-ones. It is right that Irish citizens without private health insurance now have equal access to this treatment.”

Thank you to Cholangiocarcinoma Ireland

AMMF would like to thank Cholangiocarcinoma Ireland and members of their online group for help with our evidence submission to HSE. With their assistance, AMMF was able include the experiences and voices of Irish cholangiocarcinoma patients and their families, which was essential for the decision-makers to hear.