Merck releases KEYNOTE-024 trial results

Merck continued its release of KEYTRUDA results by reporting that its Phase 3 KEYNOTE-024 clinical trial demonstrated positive health-related quality of life (HRQoL).
The trial saw KEYTRUDA compared to standard of care (SOC) platinum-containing chemotherapy for treating patients who have metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
“The patient-reported quality of life outcomes we are seeing in the KEYNOTE-024 study are very encouraging and, coupled with previously reported clinical data from this study, including a survival benefit, are important in understanding the robust clinical profile for KEYTRUDA compared to chemotherapy,” Merck Research Laboratories Senior Vice President Dr. Roger Dansey said.
Patients in the trial who were treated with KEYTRUDA demonstrated a significant improvement compared to chemotherapy. The results of the trial were presented at the 17th World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) last week.
“For people living with lung cancer, who often face serious health challenges brought on by the disease, quality of life is a major concern when determining treatment and the data presented today help us further understand the potential clinical benefit for KEYTRUDA in these patients,” LungenClinic Head of the Thoracic Oncology Department Dr. Martin Reck said.
The KEYTRUDA program includes 400 trials involving 30 different tumor types.