Merck-Eisai's endometrial cancer therapy combo fails first-line treatment trial

[December 09, 2023]  (Reuters) -Merck said on Friday a combination therapy being developed with partner Eisai failed a late-stage trial testing it as a first-line treatment for a type of cancer in the uterus lining.

This is the latest in a string of trial failures studying Merck's blockbuster drug Keytruda and Eisai's Lenvima combination as a treatment for various cancers.

Earlier this year, the companies discontinued two late-stage studies testing the combination against cancers of the head and neck, as well as skin.

The combination is already approved in the U.S. and other countries to treat certain types of advanced endometrial cancer in patients who have received prior systemic therapy.

In the current study, the Keytruda-Lenvima combination failed to delay the progression of the cancer and prolong the lives of patients with a type of advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer.

The cancer begins in the inner lining of the uterus, or endometrium, and is the most common type of the disease affecting the organ.

Friday's data does not affect the approved indications for the combination or other ongoing trials, Merck said.

Signage is seen at the Merck & Co. headquarters in Kenilworth, New Jersey, U.S., November 13, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/ File photo

Merck's Keytruda belongs to a class of medicines called PD-1 inhibitors that work by increasing the ability of the body's immune system to detect and fight tumor cells.

Eisai's Lenvima is a kinase inhibitor, which blocks certain proteins from helping cancer cells grow and divide.

Lenvima brought in global sales of 151.4 billion yen ($1.05 billion) for the six months ended Sept. 30.

($1 = 144.3300 yen)

(Reporting by Mariam Sunny in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)

[© 2023 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.