Keytruda for Mesothelioma Flops in Phase III Clinical Trial

Results from a phase III clinical trial comparing Keytruda (pembrolizumab) to standard chemotherapy shows the immunotherapy drug still has a long way to go as a viable treatment option for malignant pleural mesothelioma. Keytruda did not improve progression-free survival for mesothelioma patients who progressed after first-line chemotherapy. The disappointing results from the PROMISE-meso study were presented at the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) annual meeting last week. It was the first randomized trial comparing progression-free survival between immunotherapy and first-line chemotherapy for mesothelioma patients. Nearly four times more patients responded to the Keytruda over chemotherapy. However, these responses did not delay tumor progression or improve survival. “Despite correcting for crossover, an overall survival benefit was not observed,” Dr. Sanjay Popat of Royal Marsden Hospital in London said at ESMO. “The pembrolizumab safety profile was consistent with that previously observed. Further exploratory translational work is ongoing to identify subgroups that could benefit from pembrolizumab.” Chemotherapy Showed Longer Progression-Free Survival The progression-free survival for patients treated with Keytruda was just 2.5 months, compared to 3.4 months with standard chemotherapy regimens. Median overall survival did not change significantly between the two groups. A combination of Alimta (pemetrexed) and platinum-based chemotherapy (cisplat...
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