Gilead (NASDAQ: GILD) has announced interim data from a Phase II trial assessing the antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) Trodelvy (sacituzumab govitecan) in combination with Merck, Sharp & Dohme’s (MSD; NYSE: MRK) anti-PD-1 Keytruda (pembrolizumab) for first-line advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) without actionable genomic alterations. The interim results indicate that the double-drug therapy achieved a confirmed and unconfirmed objective response rate (ORR) of 56% and a disease control rate (DCR) of 82%. Notably, the median duration of response (DoR) has not been reached, signaling the potential for sustained efficacy.
Subgroup Analysis Highlights Efficacy
In a subgroup of patients with a PD-L1 tumor proportion score (TPS) of 50% or more, the ORR and DCR increased to 69% and 86%, respectively. These results suggest that the combination therapy may be particularly effective in patients with higher PD-L1 expression levels.
Ongoing Late-Stage Study
The combination therapy of Trodelvy and Keytruda is currently being evaluated in a late-stage study for first-line PD-L1-high metastatic NSCLC, marking another collaboration between Gilead and MSD. This study aims to further investigate the efficacy and safety of the combination in a broader patient population.-Fineline Info & Tech
