Keytruda finds partial success in first-line KEYNOTE trial

25 July 2018

Merck & Co (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside of the USA and Canada, has announced that Keytruda (pembrolizumab) met one of its primary endpoint for overall survival in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

The KEYNOTE trial, which measures the efficacy of Keytruda both as a monotherapy and in conjunction with platinum chemotherapy, saw the drug alone improve survival for patients whose tumors expressed PD-L1 significantly compared to the standard of care in this indication.

Keytruda is the first anti-PD-1 therapy to show an overall survival benefit as first-line treatment for recurrent or metastatic HNSCC.

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