FDA Panel Review Of Merck/Ariad’s Sarcoma Drug Could Hinge On Clinical Significance Of Progression-Free Survival Benefit

The Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee will review two drugs for sarcoma indications on March 20: Merck/Ariad’s Taltorvic (ridaforolimus) and GlaxoSmithKline’s Votrient (pazopanib). With a three-week median PFS advantage in its pivotal trial, ridaforolimus could face the same questions about clinically significant benefit that led to revocation of Avastin’s metastatic breast cancer claim.