FOSTER CITY, CA, USA I January 10, 2021 I Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced it has entered into two clinical trial collaboration and supply agreements with Merck (known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada) to evaluate the combination of Gilead’s Trop-2 targeting antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) Trodelvy® (sacituzumab govitecan-hziy) and Merck’s anti-PD-1 therapy KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) in first-line metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). As part of the collaboration, Merck will sponsor a global Phase 3 clinical trial of Trodelvy in combination with KEYTRUDA as a first-line treatment for patients with metastatic NSCLC. Additionally, the companies recently established an agreement whereby Gilead will sponsor a Phase 2 signal-seeking study evaluating combinations that include pembrolizumab in first-line NSCLC.
“We’re excited to broaden our clinical collaborations with Merck to investigate Trodelvy in combination with KEYTRUDA in another cancer where there is tremendous need for novel combinations to help improve patient outcomes,” said Merdad Parsey, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer, Gilead Sciences. “This partnership builds on our ambition of providing alternatives to traditional chemotherapy with Trodelvy containing regimens across some of the most difficult-to-treat cancers.”
NSCLC is the most common type of lung cancer and accounts for up to 85% of cases. It is an aggressive disease with poor prognosis. Although there has been significant progress in recent years in the treatment of the disease, there is a still a major unmet need for patients with only 25% of patients surviving beyond five years.
Trodelvy is an antibody-drug conjugate that specifically targets Trop-2 expressing cells to enable local delivery of a cytotoxic payload that selectively kills the targeted cells. The combination of Trodelvy with an immune-stimulating agent such as KEYTRUDA could provide a new treatment option for a broader set of patients with first-line metastatic NSCLC.
The use of Trodelvy for the treatment of NSCLC is investigational, and the safety and efficacy for this use have not been established or approved by any regulatory agency globally. In the United States, Trodelvy is approved for the treatment of second-line metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC),and has additionally been approved under the accelerated approval pathway for the treatment of metastatic urothelial cancer (UC) in adults who have received certain prior therapies. Trodelvy has a Boxed Warning for severe or life-threatening neutropenia and severe diarrhea; please see below for additional Important Safety Information for Trodelvy.
Everest Medicines will also participate in the global Phase 3 study in Asia through its existing collaboration agreement with Gilead.
These agreements follow a collaboration, established in October 2021, to investigate Trodelvy in combination with KEYTRUDA as first-line treatment for people with locally advanced or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).
The use of Trodelvy for the treatment of NSCLC and the use of Trodelvy in combination with KEYTRUDA for any use is investigational, and the safety and efficacy for these uses have not been established or approved by regulatory agency globally.
KEYTRUDA® is a registered trademark of Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA.
About Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)
Lung cancer (including both NSCLC and small-cell lung cancer (SCLC)) is the second most common cancer in both men and women and is the leading cause of cancer death, making up approximately 25% of all cancer deaths. NSCLC is the most common type of lung cancer and accounts for up to 85% of cases. It is an aggressive disease with poor prognosis, and the relative five-year survival rate is 25%.
About Trodelvy
Trodelvy is a first-in-class antibody and topoisomerase inhibitor conjugate directed to the Trop-2 receptor, a protein overexpressed in multiple types of epithelial tumors, including metastatic TNBC and metastatic urothelial cancer (UC), where high expression is associated with poor survival and relapse. Trodelvy is approved for adults with second-line metastatic TNBC in the United States, the European Union, Australia, Canada, Great Britain and Switzerland. Trodelvy is also under multiple regulatory reviews worldwide, including in Singapore and China through our partner Everest Medicines. Trodelvy continues to be developed for potential use in other TNBC and metastatic UC populations and is also being developed as an investigational treatment for hormone receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HR+/HER2-) metastatic breast cancer and metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. Additional evaluation across multiple solid tumors is also underway.
U.S. Indication for Trodelvy
In the United States, Trodelvy is indicated for the treatment of:
- Adult patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic TNBC who have received two or more prior systemic therapies, at least one of them for metastatic disease.
- Adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic UC who have previously received a platinum-containing chemotherapy and either programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) or programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitor.
Please see full Prescribing Information, including BOXED WARNING.
About Gilead Sciences
Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that has pursued and achieved breakthroughs in medicine for more than three decades, with the goal of creating a healthier world for all people. The company is committed to advancing innovative medicines to prevent and treat life-threatening diseases, including HIV, viral hepatitis and cancer. Gilead operates in more than 35 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City, California.
SOURCE: Gilead Sciences