Merck Cologne’s lung cancer drug reduces risk of tumor progression by 65%

Adam Feuerstein is a senior writer and biotechnology columnist, reporting on the intersection of drug development, business, Wall Street, and biotechnology. He is co-host of the weekly biotech podcast The Readout Loud and author of the newsletter Adam’s Biotech Scorecard. Signal’s Adam can be reached at stataf.54.

A type of targeted chemotherapy developed by China-based Cologne Biotech and licensed to Merck & Co. reduced the risk of tumor progression in lung cancer patients by 65%, according to results from a phase 3 trial reported Thursday.

The study also found a preliminary survival benefit in favor of Cologne Merck’s drug called sacituzumab tilmothecan (sac-TMT), but longer follow-up is needed to confirm.

The study, conducted in China, is the first to successfully combine an antibody-drug conjugate with PD-1-targeted immunotherapy in patients with advanced, untreated non-small cell lung cancer.

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