Merck Provides Update on KEYTRUDA sBLA for KEYNOTE-042 Trial

Merck announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended the action date for the supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for KEYTRUDA, Merck’s anti-PD-1 therapy, as monotherapy for the first-line treatment of locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in patients whose tumors express PD-L1 (tumor proportion score [TPS] ≥1%) without EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations. The sBLA is based on results of the Phase 3 KEYNOTE-042 trial where KEYTRUDA monotherapy demonstrated a significant improvement in overall survival compared with chemotherapy in this patient population. The company recently submitted additional data and analyses to the FDA, which constitutes a major amendment and extends the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA), or target action date, by three months to April 11, 2019. Merck continues to work closely with the FDA during the review of this sBLA.

KEYTRUDA is an anti-PD-1 therapy that works by increasing the ability of the body’s immune system to help detect and fight tumor cells. KEYTRUDA is a humanized monoclonal antibody that blocks the interaction between PD-1 and its ligands, PD-L1 and PD-L2, thereby activating T lymphocytes which may affect both tumor cells and healthy cells.

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