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Merck's Keytruda Stakes Its Claim To First-Line Use In Advanced Cervical Cancer

Top-Line KEYNOTE-826 Results

 
• By John Davis

Combining Merck & Co’s pembrolizumab with chemotherapy first-line improves survival and PFS in metastatic cervical cancer, reinforcing its position in a condition in the sights of a number of other companies, although usually in later lines of therapy.  

cervical cancer cells
cervical cancer cells • Source: Alamy

Top-line data from the pivotal KEYNOTE-826 trial show Merck & Co., Inc.’s checkpoint inhibitor Keytruda (pembrolizumab) improves overall survival and progression free survival when used as part of first-line therapy for metastatic cervical cancer, supporting the move of the checkpoint inhibitor to earlier lines of therapy in the condition. 

There is an unmet need for drugs to treat metastatic cervical cancer, which often affects young and middle-aged women. “KEYNOTE-826...

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