By Colin Kellaher

Merck & Co. (MRK) on Wednesday said the European Commission approved two new regimens of its cancer drug Keytruda as first-line treatment for metastatic or unresectable recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

The Kenilworth, N.J., drug maker said the approval includes Keytruda as monotherapy or in combination with platinum and 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy, for the first-line treatment of patients whose tumors express PD-L1.

Merck said the approval is based on a phase 3 study in which Keytruda, compared with standard treatment, showed a significant improvement in overall survival as monotherapy and in combination with chemotherapy in such patients.

The company said Keytruda is the first anti-PD-1 treatment option approved in Europe in the first-line setting for metastatic or unresectable recurrent head and neck cancer.

Write to Colin Kellaher at colin.kellaher@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

November 20, 2019 07:21 ET (12:21 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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