Merck: Keytruda reduces kidney cancer risk of death by 47%

(CercleFinance.com) - Merck said that its immuno-therapy Keytruda reduces the risk of death by nearly half compared to Pfizer's Sunitinib as first-line treatment for advanced renal cell carcinoma, an aggressive form of kidney cancer.


While patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma have historically faced five-year survival rates of less than 10%, the first findings show that Keytruda, in combination with Pfizer's axitinib, reduced the risk of death by 47%, the US drugmaker said.

Results from the Phase 3 study presented this weekend and published in the New England Journal of Medicine also showed that the risk of progression or death fell by 31%.

As previously announced, the US Food and Drug Administration has granted priority review for Keyruda for the first-line treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma with a decision date scheduled for 20 June.

Copyright (c) 2019 CercleFinance.com. All rights reserved.