U.S. FDA places Mersana's cancer drug trial on hold following death

[March 14, 2023]  (Reuters) - Mersana Therapeutics Inc said on Monday the U.S. drug regulator had placed on hold an early-stage trial testing its experimental cancer drug after the death of a participant.

The death was of a patient enrolled at the initial dose level in the dose escalation portion, the company said.

The study was testing the company's XMT-2056 candidate.

The company is now focused on analyzing the death and "consider potential next steps for development,” Chief Executive Officer Anna Protopapas said in a statement.

The company will continue to make progress with the other cancer drug candidate UpRi and XMT-1660 clinical trials.

Shares of Mersana were halted before the bell.

(Reporting by Leroy Leo and Khushi Mandowara in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)

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