Merck KGaA's glioblastoma candidate cilengitide fails in Ph III study

German drug major Merck KGaA (MRK: DE) revealed this morning that the Phase III CENTRIC trial of the investigational integrin inhibitor cilengitide did not meet its primary endpoint of significantly increasing overall survival when added to the current standard chemoradiotherapy regimen (temozolomide and radiotherapy).  Merck’s shares dipped 2.15% to 102.55 euros in early trading.

Cilengitide is the first in a new class of investigational targeted anticancer therapies – the integrin inhibitors – to have reached Phase III clinical development, the company noted. The drug is currently being investigated in glioblastoma – a very aggressive type of brain tumor – in a Phase III trial (CENTRIC) and in a Phase II trial (CORE). An additional Phase I/II trial is ongoing in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

The CENTRIC trial includes patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma and methylated O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) gene promoter status. The trial was planned and is being conducted in partnership with the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC). Detailed trial results will be submitted for presentation at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2013 Annual Meeting and publication in a peer-reviewed journal.