Significant survival benefit for Novartis' Tafinlar and Mekinist combination

1 June 2015

Swiss drug major Novartis (NOVN: VX) has announced data from a Phase III study showing a significant survival benefit in BRAF V600E/K mutation-positive metastatic melanoma when treated with the combination of Tafinlar (dabrafenib) and Mekinist (trametinib) compared to Tafinlar as a monotherapy.

This is the first BRAF/MEK inhibitor combination to demonstrate a statistically-significant overall survival benefit for the patient population in two Phase III studies. Results were presented yesterday at the 51st Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago.

Tafinlar and Mekinist achieved a statistically significant overall survival benefit compared to Tafinlar alone, a median of 25.1 months against 18.7 months. The analysis of the COMBI-d study data also showed median progression-free survival of 11 months, overall response rate of 69%, and median duration of response of 12.9 months.

This article is accessible to registered users, to continue reading please register for free. A free trial will give you access to exclusive features, interviews, round-ups and commentary from the sharpest minds in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology space for a week. If you are already a registered user please login. If your trial has come to an end, you can subscribe here.

Try before you buy

Free

7 day trial access

Take a Free Trial

All the news that moves the needle in pharma and biotech
Exclusive features, podcasts, interviews, data analyses and commentary from our global network of life sciences reporters.
Receive The Pharma Letter daily news bulletin, free forever.

Become a subscriber

£820

Or £77 per month

Subscribe Now

Unfettered access to industry-leading news, commentary and analysis in pharma and biotech.
Updates from clinical trials, conferences, M&A, licensing, financing, regulation, patents & legal, executive appointments, commercial strategy and financial results.
Daily roundup of key events in pharma and biotech.
Monthly in-depth briefings on Boardroom appointments and M&A news.
Choose from a cost-effective annual package or a flexible monthly subscription

The Pharma Letter is an extremely useful and valuable Life Sciences service that brings together a daily update on performance people and products. It’s part of the key information for keeping me informed

Chairman, Sanofi Aventis UK