Merck stops skin cancer combination therapy testing in late-stage study

[May 13, 2024]  (Reuters) -Merck has discontinued testing a combination of an experimental antibody-based drug and its blockbuster immunotherapy, Keytruda, for some patients with the most severe form of skin cancer in a late-stage study, it said on Monday.

The decision followed an analysis that showed the trial will not achieve the main goal of statistically significant improvement in recurrence-free survival, Merck said.

The company will unblind the study and recommend patients receiving the combination treatment be offered Keytruda monotherapy.

The experimental anti-TIGIT drug, vibostolimab, along with Keytruda failed to significantly slow disease progression in lung cancer patients in a late-stage study last year.

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

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

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