A new clinical trial has shown that combining Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD)’s Trodelvy with Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK)’s immunotherapy Keytruda significantly reduces the risk of disease progression in patients with advanced triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The Phase 3 ASCENT-04 study, presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting, found that the Trodelvy-Keytruda regimen lowered the risk of cancer worsening or death by 35% compared to the current standard of Keytruda plus chemotherapy in patients whose tumors express PD-L.
A healthcare professional wearing a health communications device discussing patient data with a colleague.
Patients treated with the new combination experienced a median progression-free survival of 11.2 months, compared to 7.8 months for those on standard therapy. The median duration of response was also notably longer—16.5 months versus 9.2 months. Experts say these results could establish the Gilead Sciences, Inc. and Merck & Co., Inc.’s Trodelvy-Keytruda combination as a new front-line standard of care for this aggressive cancer subtype, which accounts for about 10% of U.S. breast cancer cases and is typically harder to treat.
Serious side effects included neutropenia in 43% of patients and diarrhea in 10%, rates similar to those seen with standard chemotherapy. Ongoing follow-up will determine the impact on overall survival.
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