By Colin Kellaher

Merck & Co. on Tuesday said a Phase 3 study of its blockbuster cancer drug Keytruda met its key endpoint in certain patients with stomach cancer.

The Kenilworth, N.J., drugmaker said Keytruda combined with chemotherapy showed a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in the study's primary endpoint of overall survival versus chemotherapy alone as the first-line treatment of patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, or HER2, negative locally advanced unresectable or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma.

Merck said it also saw statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in progression-free survival and overall response rate.

Keytruda, a cancer drug that harnesses a patient's immune system to fight tumors, is approved in dozens of indications around the world and had sales of nearly $15.5 billion for the first nine months of the year.

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

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

November 22, 2022 07:35 ET (12:35 GMT)

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