Merck KGaA sees positive Erbitux data

German drugmaker Merck KGaAsays that the results of a Phase III study of Erbitux (cetuximab), used with irinotecan as a second-line therapy for metastatic colorectal cancer, indicate that, although the drug does not show a difference in overall survival due to post-study therapy, the rate of progression-free survival and response rate highly favor the combined regimen.

A second trial, which evaluated Erbitux monotherapy versus best supportive care in patients who had experienced failure with irinotecan, oxaliplatin and/or fluoropyrimidine-based therapy, demonstrated that the drug improved overall survival when used as a monotherapy in a third-line treatment setting.

Merck said that, based on the promising results, it would continue to study Erbitux in both the adjuvant and metastatic colorectal cancer settings. It added that the drug is still undergoing assessment in Phase III trials in non-small cell lung, pancreatic and head and neck cancers.