ImmunoGen/Merck Collaborate for Ovarian Cancer Study
ImmunoGen, Inc.’s IMGN shares gained 4.7% after the company announced that it has entered into clinical research collaboration agreement with Merck & Co. Inc. MRK to evaluate mirvetuximab soravtansine in combination with Merck's Keytruda (pembrolizumab) for the treatment of patients with FRα-positive ovarian cancer.
Mirvetuximab soravtansine is currently being evaluated in the phase Ib/II FORWARD II study in combination with anticancer agents including Doxil (doxorubicin), Avastin (bevacizumab) and Paraplatin (carboplatin). The mirvetuximab soravtansine-Keytruda combination will be included in this study.
Patient enrollment in the mirvetuximab soravtansine-Keytruda combination study is expected to be initiated in the second half of 2016.
ImmunoGen stated that the agreement has the provision to be expanded to include a phase III study. No other detail of the agreement, however, was disclosed.
We note that Keytruda is presently approved in the U.S. in two indications – unresectable or metastatic melanoma, and metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in patients whose tumors express PD-L1 as determined by an FDA-approved test with disease progression on or after platinum-containing chemotherapy. Currently, Keytruda is being evaluated across more than 30 tumor types in over 200 studies, which include 80 combination studies.
Apart from the FORWARD II study, mirvetuximab soravtansine is being evaluated as monotherapy in the phase II FORWARD I study for the treatment of pretreated patients with FRα-positive ovarian cancer.
In addition, mirvetuximab soravtansine is being evaluated in a phase I study for the treatment of patients with FRα-positive relapsed/refractory endometrial cancer. Data from the study are expected in the second half of 2016.
According to the World Health Organization GLOBOCAN 2012, each year, approximately 240,000 new cases of ovarian cancer and 140,000 deaths related to the disease are reported, globally.
Currently, ImmunoGen and Merck both carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). A couple of better-ranked stocks in the health care sector are Celgene Corporation CELG and Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated LGND, both sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
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