Merck study shows benefits of Erbitux plus Folfox for colorectal cancer treatment

Merck has announced new study data showing that its drug Erbitux, when added to Folfox chemotherapy, can deliver significant benefits for metastatic colorectal cancer patients.

Data from the phase III TAILOR study in patients from China indicated that Erbitux plus Folfox delivered statistically significantly improvements across various outcomes, including progression-free survival, overall survival and best overall response rate compared to Folfox alone.

This was the first prospective trial to evaluate an anti-EGFR antibody in the first-line treatment of patients with RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer, with a 31 percent decrease in the risk of disease progression and a 24 percent decrease in the risk of death achieved with the addition of Erbitux.

Results from this trial will be used to support the future regulatory assessment of Erbitux for this indication in China.

Luciano Rossetti, global head of research and development for Merck's biopharmaceuticals business, said: "As a standard-of-care treatment, Erbitux is a strategic priority product for Merck and our aspiration is that patients have optimal access to this drug worldwide."

To date, the drug has obtained marketing authorisation across more than 90 countries worldwide.