Merck said on Monday it has discontinued the development of two experimental cancer drugs after their failure in several trials.
The pharmaceutical giant's decision comes after several setbacks for the drugs, vibostolimab and favezelimab, which were being tested separately in combination with its top-selling drug Keytruda for various forms of cancer.
On Monday, the company said it was stopping two trials of vibostolimab with Keytruda to treat non-small cell lung cancer after an analysis showed it was unlikely to succeed, while it also decided to cease development of favezelimab after reviewing its data.
"Following a careful analysis of the data, the decision has been made to discontinue development of these candidates to prioritize other ongoing programs," said Marjorie Green, head of oncology, global clinical development at Merck's research unit.
Shares of Merck were up nearly 1% in extended trading.
Vibostolimab belonged to a promising new class of immunotherapies called anti-TIGIT. This type of drug works by selectively binding itself to TIGIT, a receptor on immune cells, to activate the immune system against cancer cells and prevent a misguided immune attack against healthy cells.
Favezelimab was designed to prevent a protein called LAG-3 from binding to certain molecules on tumor cells. This activates the body's immune response and can reduce tumor growth.
Merck said it is informing study investigators for these trials and advised patients to contact their study team and physicians regarding the next steps and treatment options.
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