1. Pink Sheet
  2. >>R&D
  3. >>Clinical Trials

Safety Profile Of Merck’s Anti-PD-1 Keytruda Shines In FDA Labeling

 
• By Emily Hayes

Priced at $12,500/month, Keytruda will be ready to ship within one week of FDA approval for relapsed melanoma after failure of Yervoy and a BRAF inhibitor. Approval could spur interest in off-label use of PD-1 inhibitor as a first-line treatment.

The first anti-PD-1 drug to clear FDA, Merck & Co. Inc.’s Keytruda (pembrolizumab) bears labeling that demonstrates the attractive safety profile of the class, especially relative to the immune checkpoint pioneer Yervoy – which could fuel off-label use in the first-line setting.

FDA granted accelerated approval Sept. 4 for Keytruda for patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma who no longer responded to...

Read the full article – start your free trial today!

Join thousands of industry professionals who rely on Pink Sheet for daily insights

  • Start your 7-day free trial
  • Explore trusted news, analysis, and insights
  • Access comprehensive global coverage
  • Enjoy instant access – no credit card required
Start Free Trial

Already a subscriber?

More from Clinical Trials

Orphan Drug Trial Sponsors ‘Playing Catch-Up’ With Regulators – But Automation Can Help

 
• By Eliza Slawther

Clinical trial sponsors in the rare disease space face “big safety demands” from regulators, which can be challenging for those with limited resources. A CRO founder makes the case for “embedding automation” into the clinical trial process to keep pace with regulatory requirements.

Elegy For SACHRP: US HHS Research Protection Panel Tackled Tough Pediatric Trial Questions

 
• By Bridget Silverman

The termination of the HHS Secretary’s Committee on Human Research Protections closed an important forum for discussing pediatrics and pregnancy in clinical trial design, a former SACHRP chair said.

Future Of US FDA’s Diversity Action Plan Guidance ‘Up In The Air’ As Statutory Deadline Looms

 
• By Sue Sutter

A 26 June deadline looms for the final guidance even though a draft guidance was removed from the agency’s website to comply with President Trump’s gender ideology executive order. The concepts underpinning the guidance are still relevant, legal experts say.

Cell/Gene Therapy Cost Recovery Options Could Include Pre-Approval Public ‘Bridge’ Funding

 
• By Kate Rawson

Expanded funding for cost recovery could dovetail with FDA Commissioner Martin Makary’s idea for a “conditional approval” pathway based on a plausible mechanism of action.

More from R&D

Cell/Gene Therapy Cost Recovery Options Could Include Pre-Approval Public ‘Bridge’ Funding

 
• By Kate Rawson

Expanded funding for cost recovery could dovetail with FDA Commissioner Martin Makary’s idea for a “conditional approval” pathway based on a plausible mechanism of action.

UK MHRA: Bacteriophage Developers Wanted ‘More Clarity’ On UK Framework

 
• By Eliza Slawther

Julian Beach, interim executive director of healthcare quality and access at the UK drug regulator, the MHRA, tells the Pink Sheet how the agency is responding to increased efforts to develop bacteriophage therapies.

LDT Final Act? US FDA Will Not Appeal District Court Decision Vacating Final Rule

 
• By Brian Bossetta

The US FDA ended efforts to regulate lab-developed tests as medical devices for now when it did not appeal a decision from the Eastern District of Texas that tossed out the agency's final rule.