In advanced non-small cell lung cancer, Summit Therapeutics’ ivonescimab appears to be 49% more effective at reducing the risk of disease progression or death versus Merck’s Keytruda in a late-stage study. However, analysts contend the caveat is that the trial was conducted in an entirely Chinese patient population.
Tag Archive for: Merck
The pharma continued its clinical losing streak on Thursday with the announcement that it is discontinuing late-stage studies of the anti-PD-1 therapy in non-small cell lung cancer and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.
The company announced it had discontinued a trial testing a combination immunotherapy treatment in patients with a type of lung cancer after an interim analysis showed the drug was unlikely to succeed.
The combination therapy is one step closer to becoming a potential new first-line standard of care for patients with unresectable or metastatic urothelial carcinoma in Europe.
The company said an antibody-based drug met the main goal of a mid-to-late stage trial testing it as a therapy to protect infants from disease caused by the respiratory syncytial virus.
The company has beaten back an appeal by nearly 1,200 plaintiffs who claimed their cases were improperly dismissed by the federal judge overseeing mass torts litigation over its Zostavax shingles vaccine.
The acquisition strengthens and diversifies Merck’s pipeline with the addition of Restoret, a novel late-phase candidate for diabetic macular edema and neovascular age-related macular degeneration, as well as preclinical candidates.
Unlike the current commercially available pneumococcal vaccines—including its top competitor, Pfizer’s Prevnar 20—Capvaxive covers eight unique serotypes that together account for around 27% of IPD cases in patients 50 years and older, and approximately 30% of cases in seniors 65 years and older.
The FDA rejected Merck and Daiichi Sankyo’s antibody-drug conjugate patritumab deruxtecan in a Complete Response Letter, citing problems with a third-party manufacturer.
Merck KGaA’s drug candidate xevinapant in a late-stage trial was unable to significantly improve event-free survival in patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer.