Merck's Keytruda combo succeeds in late-stage trial for cervical cancer treatment

[March 15, 2024]  (Reuters) -Merck said on Friday its blockbuster immunotherapy Keytruda, in combination with chemoradiotherapy, met the main goal of improving overall survival for newly diagnosed patients with a form of cervical cancer in a late-stage study.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration had in January approved the expanded use of the combination to treat patients who have advanced cervical cancer and had not previously received surgery, radiation or systemic therapy.

The January approval was based on a late-stage study where the drug combination reduced the risk of cancer progression or death but had not shown clinically meaningful improvement in overall survival when compared to chemotherapy alone.

The Keytruda combo has been approved for two indications related to the treatment of cervical cancer.

The Merck logo is seen at a gate to the Merck & Co campus in Rahway, New Jersey, U.S., July 12, 2018. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo

Cervical cancer, which forms in the cells lining the cervix, is the fourth most common cancer in women globally, according to the World Health Organization.

(Reporting by Christy Santhosh; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)

[© 2024 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.