Article

Melanoma Trial Halted Early; Keytruda Betters Yervoy

Currently, Keytruda is approved for patients with advanced melanoma previously treated with Yervoy and, in some patients, another type of drug as well. That second- and third-line status limits the number of patients eligible for the drug.

Advantage Merck in the melanoma immunotherapy race. The US-based company says its PD-1 drug Keytruda met its goals in a head-to-head study with Bristol-Myers Squibb's Yervoy (ipilimumab), dealing a blow to that company's growing immunotherapy franchise.

Even better, Keytruda bested Yervoy in previously untreated patients with advanced melanoma, a result that could lead to a bigger market for the Merck med.

Keytruda hit its primary endpoints not only for stalling cancer progression, but for extending patients' lives—so-called overall survival, a key measure for regulators, doctors and payers. Merck stopped the study, called KEYNOTE-006, after trial monitors decided the results were strong enough to prompt a halt.

Read the complete article on FiercePharma: http://bit.ly/1HGL4Ox

Related Videos
Screenshot of an interview with Shaun McKenzie, MD
Screenshot of an interview with Shaun McKenzie, MD
Screenshot of an interview with Rohan Garje, MD
Susan Escudier, MD, FACP
Sabarish Ayyappan, MD
Susan Escudier, MD, FACP
Screenshot of an interview with Evangelia Vlachou, MD
Screenshot of an interview with Barry Goy, MD
Debra Patt, MD, PhD, MBA, MPH
Related Content
AJMC Managed Markets Network Logo
CH LogoCenter for Biosimilars Logo