Article - Trading places with Bristol-Myers, Merck

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Close to a year after Merck $MRK won an accelerated FDA OK to use its PD-1 checkpoint star Keytruda for treating second-line cases head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in combination with platinum-containing chemo, the pharma giant announced that its big Phase III study for that indication failed.

The pivotal KEYNOTE-040 trial failed to meet the primary endpoint on overall survival in comparing the blockbuster checkpoint against standard therapies, the pharma giant reported. But the current approval stands nevertheless, Merck said in a statement.

“The company noted that the FDA remains comfortable with the drug’s current accelerated approval in this indication despite the trial results,” observed Leerink’s Seamus Fernandez. “Importantly, Keytruda appears to have another shot on goal for full approval in H&N cancer, as the Keynote-048 study in first-line patients could, if positive, serve as the confirmatory trial.”

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