- Merck & Co Inc MRK announced results from the Phase 3 NRG‑GY018 trial of Keytruda (pembrolizumab) combined with standard-of-care chemotherapy (carboplatin and paclitaxel), then continued as a single agent every six weeks for up to 14 cycles for the first-line treatment of stage III-IV or recurrent endometrial carcinoma whose cancer was either mismatch repair proficient (pMMR) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR).
- Keytruda, in combination with chemotherapy, reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 46% compared to just chemotherapy. The primary endpoint, median progression-free survival, was 13.1 months compared to 8.7 months in patients taking just chemotherapy.
- Related: Merck's Keytruda Combo Therapy Less Effective Than Chemo In Lung Cancer Patients, Data Shows.
- In the mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) group of 225 patients, the risk of disease progression or death was reduced by 70% compared to just chemotherapy. The median progression-free survival wasn't reached compared to 7.6 months with chemo alone.
- The company said no new safety signals were found. Still, in the pMMR group, grade 3 to 5 adverse events occurred in 55.1% of patients receiving Keytruda compared to 45.3% of patients receiving chemotherapy alone.
- In the dMMR group, grade 3 to 5 adverse events occurred in 63.3% of patients receiving the Keytruda plus chemo combo compared to 47.2% of patients taking just chemotherapy.
- Merck noted that no adverse events resulted in death in either cohort.
- Price Action: MRK shares are down 0.50% at $106.40 on the last check Tuesday.
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