April 18, 2018.
Merck announced on Monday April 16 that the study evaluating Keytruda as a monotherapy in the treatment of lung cancer has achieved its primary goal of overall survival.
The effectiveness of the drug Keytruda proven
In January 2018, the American laboratory Merck announced that it had proof of superiority of its treatment combining its flagship immunotherapy product, Keytruda, and chemotherapy compared to chemotherapy alone, against lung cancer with metastases. Its stock market price had then taken more than 7%.
On the other hand, we therefore had to wait nearly three months for the details of the clinical study providing this proof. They were unveiled at the meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, making it possible to realize their importance.
Significant progress for patients
In this post, Dr Roy Herbst of the Cancer Research Center at Yale University (Connecticut) said that if, according to him, “ immunotherapy has the ability to cure cancer. […] We need to find ways to fund these drugs “. ” But I think that if we adapt their use better, it will be even more effective. And we can hope that after a few years, the price will decrease “, he added.
Indeed, its price is very high: more than 10,000 € per month and per patient. In addition, on average one in two people cannot continue treatment because of side effects.. In France, the National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety (ANSM) currently authorizes Keytruda for advanced skin (melanoma) and lung cancers. The drug, developed by the Merck laboratory, has been authorized for almost a year in the United States.
Marie-Eve Wilson-Jamin
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