Yes -- to be fair, that is the way of things -- not every combo trial will be a home run. The strides that we've made in about a decade, in treating previously dire cancers. . . is nothing short of revolutionary, with Keytruda® (pembrolizumab), primarily -- just the same.
And to be certain, each of the therapies is a mega blockbuster in its own rights -- so I think the NYSE reaction (off ~4%, as to Merck, particularly) is decidedly over-blown.
This is all. . . mostly fine-tuning, where and how to deploy these wonder drugs -- in various combinations, for various cancers. Here's the latest, in any event:
. . .Merck and Eisai today announced results from the Phase 3 LITESPARK-012 trial evaluating combination regimens for the first-line treatment of patients with advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The trial evaluated the triplet therapy of KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab), Merck’s anti-PD-1 therapy, plus LENVIMA® (lenvatinib), the orally available multiple receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) discovered by Eisai, plus WELIREG® (belzutifan), Merck’s first-in-class, oral hypoxia-inducible factor-2 alpha (HIF-2α) inhibitor. The study also evaluated MK-1308A, the coformulation of KEYTRUDA and quavonlimab, Merck’s investigational anti-CTLA-4 antibody, plus LENVIMA. Both combination regimens were compared to KEYTRUDA plus LENVIMA for these patients.
At a pre-specified interim analysis, the combination regimens did not meet the dual primary endpoints of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) for the first-line treatment of patients with RCC compared to KEYTRUDA plus LENVIMA. . . .
This is how real life science progresses -- find the blind alleys, and then don't go back down them. That's the iterative process we all must endure -- to make truly lasting, evidence based advances -- in oncology. Onward -- with bby grrls at the park, again this evening -- woot!
नमस्ते
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