Ed Silverman, Stat News: February 5, 2021
Merck (MRK5 ) may have readily turned its Keytruda cancer drug into a medical and financial juggernaut, but its bid to win regulatory approval for at least one additional use may not come so easily, judging by documents from the Food and Drug Administration. The drug maker wants to sell the medicine to combat high-risk, early-stage triple-negative breast cancer along with chemotherapy before surgery, and then by itself after surgery.
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Given the FDA review, though, the likelihood of a recommendation next week is not high, according to Ira Loss of Washington Analysis, who tracks pharmaceutical regulatory and legislative matters for investors. “The agency believes, and we think the (FDA expert) committee will agree, that further data from the trial are needed to make an informed decision,” he wrote to investors.
Another FDA watcher was even more blunt. “It’s important to have good treatment because this disproportionately occurs among Black women,” said Diana Zuckerman, who heads the National Center for Health Research, a nonprofit think tank. “But they’re saying this may not be needed, may not work and may be harmful – that’s pretty damning. And there are some real safety issues that can have terrible impact on patients… This is one of the most negative reviews I’ve ever seen.”
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