GSK's cancer drug combination meets primary goal in late-stage trial

[December 18, 2023]  (Reuters) - GSK said on Monday that a combination of its cancer drugs Zejula and Jemperli, when as used as a maintenance therapy following Jemperli plus chemotherapy, met the main goal of a late-stage trial to treat a certain type of endometrial cancer.

The results from the trial showed that Jemperli plus chemotherapy followed by Jemperli and Zejula improved progression-free survival, compared to chemotherapy alone in both the overall patient population and in a subpopulation of patients with certain types of tumours.

Progression-free survival refers to how long a patient lives without the disease getting worse after treatment.

The British company said the trial met the primary goal with a "statistically significant and clinically meaningful" benefit observed in patients concerned.

GSK, which has sought to rebuild its oncology business in recent years, had been boosted by Jemperli's approval in the United States and UK to treat specific subtypes of advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer in combination with chemotherapy.

GSK (GlaxoSmithKline) logo is seen in this illustration, August 10, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

Zejula is the company's biggest cancer drug in terms of revenue in 2022, accounting for about 77% of its 602 million pound ($763.8 million) sales from its oncology business.

The analysis of the full trial data, including the key secondary endpoint of overall survival, is ongoing, said GSK.

($1 = 0.7881 pounds)

(Reporting by Aby Jose Koilparambil in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia Cheema)

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