MSD’s new cancer treatment significantly improves overall survival

Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) have shown that its new treatment, Keytruda, significantly improves overall survival compared to chemotherapy in people with lung cancer and PD-L1 expression.

The study was the first of its kind to evaluate the potential of an immunotherapy compared to chemotherapy in this way. It is based on the prospective measurement of PD-L1 expression in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), whose tumours express the PD-L1 gene. In the Phase III trial, Keytruda improved overall survival compared to chemotherapy with docetaxel. 

MSD plans to submit a supplemental biologics licence application for Keytruda to the FDA by the end of 2015. The company also plans to submit a marketing authorisation application to the European Medicines Agency in early 2016.