USFDA nod to Merck KEYTRUDA plus Pemetrexed, Platinum Chemotherapy for Unresectable Advanced or Metastatic Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
Rahway: Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, has announced the U.S.Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved KEYTRUDA, Merck’s anti-PD-1 therapy, in combination with pemetrexed and platinum chemotherapy, for the first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable advanced or metastatic malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM).
The approval is based on data from the pivotal Phase 2/3 IND.227/KEYNOTE-483 trial. In IND.227/KEYNOTE-483, KEYTRUDA plus chemotherapy demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in overall survival (OS), reducing the risk of death by 21% (HR=0.79 [95% CI, 0.64-0.98]; p=0.0162) compared to chemotherapy alone at the trial’s pre-specified final analysis. Median OS was 17.3 months (95% CI, 14.4-21.3) for KEYTRUDA plus chemotherapy versus 16.1 months (95% CI, 13.1-18.2) for chemotherapy alone. KEYTRUDA plus chemotherapy also significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) versus chemotherapy alone (HR=0.80 [95% CI, 0.65-0.99], p=0.0194; median PFS 7.1 months [95% CI, 6.9-8.1] versus 7.1 months [95% CI, 6.8-7.7], respectively). Overall response rate (ORR) was significantly higher for KEYTRUDA plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone (52% [95% CI, 45.5-59.0] versus 29% [95% CI, 23.0-35.4], respectively; p<0.00001).
“We’re pleased to offer a new first-line treatment option for adult patients with unresectable advanced or metastatic malignant pleural mesothelioma, a disease where prognoses are generally poor,” said Dr. Gregory Lubiniecki, vice president, oncology clinical research, Merck Research Laboratories. “This milestone underscores our commitment to advancing research for patients with difficult-to-treat tumors.”
Malignant mesothelioma is a type of cancer that starts in the linings of certain parts of the body, including the chest, abdomen, heart and testicles. Worldwide, it is estimated there were more than 30,000 new cases of mesothelioma diagnosed and more than 25,000 deaths from the disease in 2022. Pleural mesothelioma, which develops in the lining of the lungs, is the most common form of malignant mesothelioma, accounting for about 75% of all cases. Malignant pleural mesothelioma can progress rapidly, and the five-year survival rate for all stages for cases diagnosed in the U.S. from 2014-2020 was 12.8%.
KEYTRUDA is an anti-programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) therapy that works by increasing the ability of the body’s immune system to help detect and fight tumor cells. KEYTRUDA is a humanized monoclonal antibody that blocks the interaction between PD-1 and its ligands, PD- L1 and PD-L2, thereby activating T lymphocytes which may affect both tumor cells and healthy cells.
There are currently more than 1,600 trials studying KEYTRUDA across a wide variety of cancers and treatment settings.
