Merck KGaA Pulls Plug On GSK-Partnered Cancer Drug Trial

Merck KGaA's MKGAF announced that a Phase 2 trial of bintrafusp alfa had been discontinued, as an independent data monitoring committee has determined the study is unlikely to meet its goal of improving overall survival.
The INTR@PID BTC 055 trial examined the drug as a first-line treatment for patients with locally advanced or metastatic biliary tract cancer combined with the chemotherapy drugs cisplatin and gemcitabine.
The decision to discontinue is the third strike on bintrafusp alfa, with the future of the therapy uncertain.
Merck discovered the therapy in-house but developed it with GlaxoSmithKline plc GSK through the $4.2 billion deal.
Strike two came in March when an independent review of the INTR@PID BTC 047 study determined that bintrafusp alfa caused an objective response rate of just 10.1%. This efficacy was too low to support a regulatory filing.
But Merck was not ready to abandon the asset, pointing to the BTC 055 study.
Two months earlier was the first strike. Bintrafusp alfa failed in a head-to-head matchup with Merck & Co Inc's MRK blockbuster cancer therapy Keytruda.
Price Action: MKGAF stock closed at $234.49 on Monday, while GSK stock is down 0.92% at $41.11 during the premarket session on the last check Tuesday.