Merck Suggests More IO/ADC Combos To Come Under Oncology Strategy

The company laid out a three-pronged strategy focused on immuno-oncology, antibody-drug conjugates as well as small molecules, with four programs set to enter pivotal trials this year.

L-R: Chirfi Guindo, chief marketing officer, human health; Marjorie Green, head of late-stage oncology development; Gregory Lubiniecki, VP late oncology development; Eliav Barr, chief medical officer, Merck Research Laboratories; Dean Li, president, Merck Research Laboratories • Source: Alaric DeArment

Fresh off a raft of data presentations at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s 2023 meeting, Merck & Co., Inc. laid out an oncology product development strategy in which immuno-oncology and antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) will play a leading role, along with small-molecule drugs.

Executives from the company assembled for a 5 June investor event in Chicago to lay out how the company plans...

Scrip Podcast

Keep up with the top pharma business news of the week. On the go.

Scrip brings you a weekly bulletin of top picks.

More from ASCO

TIL The CARs Come Home: How Cell Therapy’s Solid Tumor Future Is Shaping Up

 

Iovance’s Amtagvi won FDA accelerated approval in February, and Adaptimmune’s afami-cel may not be far behind, but cell therapies for solid tumors come with some extra challenges.

Anti-TROP2 ADCs Lung Cancer Futures Likely Lie In Earlier-Stage Disease

 

The discussant at ASCO’s NSCLC session said the field would need to “manage expectations” as the drugs do not appear to beat chemotherapy in all-comers. 

ASCO 2024 Wrap-Up Podcast

 

Scrip reporter Alaric DeArment is joined by the Datamonitor Healthcare oncology analysts to review key highlights from the recent American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting.   

China Biotech Podcast: BIOSECURE Act Updates ASCO Highlights

 

US-based Citeline writer Sarah Karlin-Smith joins Brian Yang and Dexter Yan in China to discuss the US BIOSECURE Act and the recent BIO meeting in San Diego, while Dexter Yan discusses China-related ASCO highlights, in this mixed Chinese- and English-language episode.

More from Conferences

ESMO 24: NIAGARA – Trial Design Question Hangs Over Imfinzi’s Bladder Cancer Return

 

AstraZeneca’s NIAGARA trial of perioperative Imfinzi in bladder cancer was positively received at the ESMO meeting but its design did not distinguish the contributions of each treatment portion to the overall effect – something that the US FDA is likely to have a view on.    

ESMO 24: Incyte’s Zynyz Finally Mounts The POD1UM

 

Persistence has paid off for Incyte’s Zynyz in anal cancer with a Phase III win that should make up for a previous disappointment at the FDA and give a boost to the firm’s pipeline prospects for a post-Jakafi era.    

Sutro Works Toward A Better Ovarian Cancer ADC

 
• By 

Sutro Biopharma CEO Bill Newell spoke with Scrip about the company’s novel platform, its goal of improving folate receptor alpha-driven ovarian cancer and its business development strategy.