Two Immaterial Discontinuations Of Clinical Trials -- For Combos, With Merck's Keytruda, In Hard To Treat Cancers...

Of course, Rahway would rather report robust efficacy in these daunting cancers. But stopping combo studies when there is no clincal benefit being seen. . . is responsible medical science. That way, patients may promptly seek other experimental options.

So it is that two more such stoppages were announced by Merck this morning. Here is FiercePharma on it all -- in a longish and well-sourced rundown:

. . .[A] combination of Keytruda and Merck’s investigational anti-TIGIT antibody vibostolimab was found to be less effective than the chemotherapy docetaxel in a phase 2 trial in previously treated metastatic NSCLC. Merck still has three ongoing phase 3 trials for MK-7684A, a fixed-dose combo of Keytruda and vibostolimab, in different NSCLC settings.

In the wake of Merck’s latest setback, the search for a viable PD-1/L1 inhibitor in stage 1 or 2 unresected NSCLC is still ongoing for at least one other company. AstraZeneca is conducting the phase 3 PACIFIC-4 trial, testing the addition of its PD-L1 inhibitor Imfinzi to radiotherapy in a similar design to Merck’s KEYNOTE-867 trial. The AZ study started about three months earlier than its Merck counterpart, and it has a separate cohort examining the British pharma’s Tagrisso following radiotherapy in EGFR-mutant tumors. . . .

Now you know. . . this will be a very high revenue world-beating franchise into the early 2030s, minimum. Onward, into a relaxed barbeque filled long weekend with extended family -- and the "Coach Prime" CU Buffs back in action, from Boulder on Tee-Vee (nationwide) tonight! Woot!

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