Gilead links up with Merck to evaluate Trodelvy in combo with Keytruda

US biotech Gilead Sciences (Nasdaq: GILD) has entered into a clinical trial collaboration and supply agreement with Merck & Co (NYSE: MRK) to evaluate the efficacy of Gilead’s Trop-2 targeting antibody-drug conjugate Trodelvy (sacituzumab govitecan-hziy) in combination with Merck’s mega-blockbuster anti-PD-1 therapy, Keytruda (pembrolizumab), as a first-line treatment for patients with locally advanced or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

Under the terms of the agreement, Gilead will sponsor a global Phase III clinical trial to evaluate Trodelvy in combination with Keytruda compared to standard of care Keytruda in combination with chemotherapy in first-line patients with locally advanced or metastatic TNBC.

Global sales of Trodely – which was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in April this year, for use in adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer (UC) - came in at a modest $101 million for the third quarter of this year, while Keytruda notched up a massive $4.53 billion in the same quarter.