Merck's Keytruda no better than chemo as a first-line treatment for gastric cancer, according to Phase 3 study results

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Merck & Co. Inc. said Friday that a Phase 3 trial evaluating Keytruda as a first-line treatment for gastric cancer failed to show improvement in patients' overall or progression-free survival when compared with chemotherapy. Shares of the drugmaker were down 0.05% in premarket trade. An earlier Phase 3 study looking at Keytruda as a second-line treatment for gastric cancer also failed to show a survival benefit, though the Food and Drug Administration did approve the drug in 2017 as a third-line treatment for patients with advanced gastric cancer. Keytruda is currently used for many other cancer indications, including treating certain subsets of patients with melanoma, lung cancer, Hodgkin lymphoma and cervical cancer, among many others. Shares of the pharmaceutical giant have fallen 0.1% in the year to date, while the S&P 500 has gained 16.7%.