Amgen Inc. and Merck & Co. on Friday said they would pair
two of their cancer drugs in an early-stage study of head and neck
cancer patients, expanding a collaboration between the two drug
makers.
The phase-1, open-label trial will evaluate the combination of
Amgen's experimental talimogene laherparepvec with Merck's Keytruda
in patients with carcinoma of the head and neck.
Both treatments are immunotherapies, which harness the body's
immune system to destroy tumors. Amgen executive Sean E. Harper
said in a statement that the drugs' different responses could be
complementary.
Keytruda targets a protein called PD-1, a molecular brake that
prevents the immune system from seeing tumors as invaders and
enables cancer to avoid attack. Last year, Keytruda became the
first anti-PD drug approved by the Food and Drug
Administration.
Drug makers have been racing for a share of the burgeoning
cancer immunotherapy market, which some analysts predict could
reach $20 billion to $30 billion in annual sales in the next
decade.
Amgen and Merck also on Friday said they are initiating a
randomized phase-3 trial to evaluate the drug combination in
melanoma patients. A phase-1, open-label trial of the compounds in
melanoma is continuing.
Write to Chelsey Dulaney at Chelsey.Dulaney@wsj.com
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