Merck/Endocyte Mulling Vintafolide’s Future After Failure In Ovarian Cancer

Endocyte is potentially propelled back to a Phase I company after its nearest commercial prospect flops and its collaboration with Merck is expected to disintegrate now that the drug missed PFS in ovarian cancer.

Endocyte Inc. and partner Merck & Co. Inc. have another shot with vintafolide with a lung cancer trial due to report on overall survival in the fall – but the compound took a major hit when a data safety monitoring board stopped a Phase III ovarian cancer trial due to lack of efficacy.

The drug, a conjugate of folic acid that targets folate receptors on the surface of cancer cells and is linked to the cytotoxic agent desacetylvinblastine hydrazide, was being studied in folate-positive platinum-resistant ovarian cancer patients – a small subset of the overall ovarian cancer population. The incidence of ovarian cancer in the U.S

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