Merck and Daiichi Sankyo have decided to pull their U.S. application for the experimental lung cancer drug known as patritumab deruxtecan. This decision comes after the drug failed to show a survival benefit in a late-stage clinical trial, as reported by Reuters. The drug was aimed at treating patients with non-small cell lung cancer who had exhausted at least two other treatment options and possessed a particular gene mutation linked to abnormal cell growth.
The drug, designed as a targeted therapy to attack cancer cells while sparing healthy ones, was expected to provide a new option for hard-to-treat cancer cases. However, the trial results did not meet expectations in demonstrating a clear survival advantage. This follows a previous setback when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration declined to approve the therapy due to manufacturing issues at a third-party facility.
The withdrawal of the application is likely to have implications for Merck and Daiichi Sankyo's efforts in developing innovative cancer treatments. Both companies have been working together to advance targeted therapy options, and this development may impact their collaborative oncology pipeline and strategies.
