Regular readers here will recall that in August of 2023, the same combo posted some disappointing results in head and neck cancers. [But the combo remains quite useful in uterine cancers.]

Yes — to be fair, that is the way of things — not every combo trial will be a home run. The strides that we’ve made in about a decade, in treating previously dire cancers… is nothing short of revolutionary, with Keytruda^® (pembrolizumab), primarily — just the same.

And to be certain, each of the therapies is a mega blockbuster in its own rights — so I think the NYSE reaction (off ~4%, as to Merck, particularly) is decidedly over-blown.

This is all… mostly fine-tuning, where and how to deploy these wonder drugs — in various combinations, for various cancers. Here’s the latest, in any event:

…Merck and Eisai today announced results from the Phase 3 LITESPARK-012 trial evaluating combination regimens for the first-line treatment of patients with advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The trial evaluated the triplet therapy of KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab), Merck’s anti-PD-1 therapy, plus LENVIMA® (lenvatinib), the orally available multiple receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) discovered by Eisai, plus WELIREG® (belzutifan), Merck’s first-in-class, oral hypoxia-inducible factor-2 alpha (HIF-2α) inhibitor. The study also evaluated MK-1308A, the coformulation of KEYTRUDA and quavonlimab, Merck’s investigational anti-CTLA-4 antibody, plus LENVIMA. Both combination regimens were compared to KEYTRUDA plus LENVIMA for these patients.

At a pre-specified interim analysis, the combination regimens did not meet the dual primary endpoints of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) for the first-line treatment of patients with RCC compared to KEYTRUDA plus LENVIMA….

This is how real life science progresses — find the blind alleys, and then don’t go back down them. That’s the iterative process we all must endure — to make truly lasting, evidence based advances — in oncology. Onward — with bby grrls at the park, again this evening — woot!

नमस्ते