Gilead collaborate with Merck for first-line triple negative breast cancer trial
pharmafile | October 29, 2021 | News story | Medical Communications |
Gilead Sciences announced that it has entered into a clinical trial collaboration and supply agreement with MSD (known as Merck in the US and Canada) evaluating the use of Gilead’s Trop-2 targeting antibody drug conjugate, Trodelvy®, with Merck’s anti-PD-1 therapy, KEYTRUDA®. The new Phase III trial will examine the efficacy in previously-untreated subjects with locally advanced or metastatic triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). TNBC is prone to rapid relapse and resistance.
Trodelvy is established as a therapy for TNBC patients whose disease has progressed after prior treatments, while Keytruda is approved as a first-line therapy for TNBC in combination with chemotherapy in certain patients. Trodelvy is also approved to treat metastatic uriotherial cancer in the US.
“Trodelvy has already been established as a preferred treatment option in second-line metastatic TNBC,” Gilead’s Chief Medical Officer Merdad Parsey stated. “Looking ahead, we are excited about the opportunity to advance Trodelvy as a potential treatment for first-line metastatic TNBC. This helps further our ambition of displacing chemotherapy with Trodelvy to improve outcomes for people living with cancer.”
Triple negative breast cancer is the most aggressive type of breast cancer. It often affects younger people, and once the disease becomes metastatic, the median survival is around 12 to 15 months. It accounts for 15% of breast cancers. Chemotherapy is the cornerstone of therapy in the treatment of metastatic TNBC.
Gilead is dedicated to developing innovative medicines for life-threatening illnesses. Merck stand at the forefront of research to prevent and treat diseases including HIV and Ebola.
Ana Ovey
