Gilead announces data on Trodelvy plus Keytruda
Gilead (GILD) Sciences announced Trodelvy plus Keytruda reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 35% versus standard of care Keytruda plus chemotherapy in first-line treatment for patients with PD-L1+ metastatic triple-negative breast cancer, TNBC. Trodelvy when given in combination with Keytruda resulted in a median progression-free survival of 11.2 months vs 7.8 months when Keytruda was given in combination with chemotherapy. These data from the pivotal Phase 3 ASCENT-04/KEYNOTE-D19 study will be presented today as a late-breaking oral presentation at the 2025 ASCO Annual Congress. For the primary endpoint, the median PFS was 11.2 months with Trodelvy plus Keytruda compared to 7.8 months with Keytruda plus chemotherapy, with a median follow-up of 14 months. A highly statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement was observed with Trodelvy plus Keytruda, showing a 35% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death in the intent to treat population compared to standard of care Keytruda plus chemotherapy combination. The PFS benefit was generally consistent across key prespecified subgroups. A numerically higher overall response rate was observed for the Trodelvy plus Keytruda combination including 13% and 8% with a complete response, respectively, in the Trodelvy plus Keytruda and Keytruda plus chemotherapy arms. Notably, a substantially longer duration of response was observed with Trodelvy plus Keytruda.
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Cancer still tops high-cost health claims but muscle and orthopedic conditions are making surprise surge: Sun Life report
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"Sun Life's annual high-cost claims report illustrates the escalating nature of healthcare costs and the growing financial burden on employers and the healthcare system," said Jen Collier, president of Health and Risk Solutions, Sun Life U.S. "By analyzing our clinical data annually, we are able to create solutions with targeted interventions and personalized care navigation that can have a significant impact on both health outcomes and cost containment." Cancer Leads as Top Cost Driver Cancer once again tops the list as the most frequent and costly condition, with malignant neoplasms (solid tumors) generating $1.2 billion in spending across approximately 5,000 claims in 2024—triple the cost of the second-leading condition, cardiovascular. While blood cancers (Leukemia, Lymphoma, Multiple Myeloma) moved down one spot, they remain in the top five categories with nearly 900 members experiencing a high-cost claim annually. 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Even though the average treatment cost is relatively low at $5,900, two members received gene therapies totaling $6.8 million in 2024, catapulting the category to #16 on the list. Eight of the 10 highest-cost drugs are primarily used in the treatment of cancer. Keytruda was the costliest cancer treatment and the highest overall drug with $84.4 million in spend. Durvalumab was added to this year's list due to a spike in utilization over the four-year and one-year views, with 78 members using the drug in 2024. "As a physician, I am keenly aware that factors such as chronic conditions, medical advancements, drug spend, and delayed care are putting pressure on employers and their workforces," said Dr. Miles Varn, chief medical officer, Sun Life U.S. and head of PinnacleCare. 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About Sun LifeSun Life is a leading international financial services organization providing asset management, wealth, insurance and health solutions to individual and institutional Clients. Sun Life has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the U.S., the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of March 31, 2025, Sun Life had total assets under management of $1.55 trillion. For more information, please visit Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF. Sun Life U.S. is one of the largest providers of employee and government benefits, helping approximately 50 million Americans access the care and coverage they need. 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CNBC
a day ago
- CNBC
Healthy Returns: AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Gilead and other drugmakers release promising cancer drug data at ASCO
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The American Medical Association will first need to issue a billing code, which for some AI-driven tools has been slow to come. That code will be crucial to securing insurance coverage. Feel free to send any tips, suggestions, story ideas and data to Bertha at Amazon Pharmacy on Tuesday announced new updates for caregivers and more than 50 million Medicare Part D beneficiaries. Launched in 2020, Amazon Pharmacy was formed out of the company's 2018 acquisition of the online pharmacy PillPack. The offering is now a full-service, digital pharmacy that can help support patients with both one-off and recurring prescriptions. Prime members in cities like Los Angeles and New York City are eligible for same-day medication deliveries. Amazon said that customers with Medicare insurance can now directly access PillPack's services, which means those with two or more prescriptions can have their medications sorted into individual tear-away packets labeled with the date and time. The company said these monthly shipments will reduce the need for patients to keep track of multiple pill bottles and help them stick to their routines, according to a release. Patients interested in accessing pre-sorted medications through PillPack can sign up by logging into Amazon Pharmacy. Amazon Pharmacy also introduced a new way for verified caregivers to help manage medications on behalf of their loved ones. Around one in every five adults in the U.S. are caring for an aging family member, according to AARP. Patients can invite trusted caregivers to help oversee their medications by submitting their phone number. The caregiver will receive a text with a link, have to confirm details about the patient in question, and then can begin managing the patient's medications through their own account. 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CNBC
a day ago
- CNBC
This biotech stock rallying on cancer treatment data has more room to run, analysts say
Analysts are closely watching Merus and see more upside ahead coming out of one of the biggest biotechnology conferences in the U.S. Merus shares shot up late last month following the release of promising Phase 2 data for a treatment for head and neck cancer. This has made the Netherlands-based company the talk of the investing set that flocked to Chicago for the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting , which concludes Tuesday. "They're first in class. We think they're best in class," said Matt Phipps, group head of the biotech equity research team at William Blair. "That's just kind of a combination that a lot of investors really want to be a part of." The stock has popped about 40% in the past month and rallied to a new all-time high on Tuesday. Still, multiple analysts interviewed by CNBC Pro said Merus can surge even higher — with one even suggesting shares can more than double from current levels given there are more catalysts on the horizon. MRUS 1M mountain Merus, 1-month Phipps said Merus' data overshadowed a similar report from Bicara Therapeutics , whose shares have tumbled 24% over the past month. He said Merus' release cemented itself as the best drug in combination with Merck 's Keytruda for head and neck cancer. Guggenheim analyst Michael Schmidt said similar success in Phase 3 data could more than double the value of Merus' shares. To be sure, he noted that investors should be prepared to wait between 12 and 18 months to see this upside given the schedule for data releases that can boost the stock. Beyond that, he said the same drug combination has potential for treating colorectal cancer. While Schmidt acknowledged that its not a major focus of investors yet, he said data from ongoing Phase 2 studies expected in the second half of 2025 is something to keep an eye on. Expectations for this, he said, are "very modest." "It's a stock that we have a lot of conviction on," Schmidt said. "We like this story a lot." Multiple analysts interviewed by CNBC said the name could also be an acquisition target from bigger-name biopharmaceutical companies, which could further drive upside. That can also help explain why Wall Street is so bullish. Every analyst polled by LSEG has a buy or strong buy rating, with an average price target suggesting 45% in upside ahead. "You want to buy it now," said BMO analyst Evan Seigerman, who called the company's data "really compelling." "This is the type of company that a large pharma company would want to acquire." Seigerman said the company has both "great" clinical data and is in an area with "unmet need," which is a combination that can make the stock a winner in what he described as a competitive sector. A boost to Merck? The treatment's success can also have knock-on benefits for Merck shares given the potential sales bump for Keytruda, according to Leerink analyst Andrew Berens. Berens said Keytruda is approved as a monotherapy, but only about 20% of patients respond to it, making the average time spent on the drug about few months. But used in conjunction with Merus' product, he noted that data shows that rate shoots up to the high 60% level and increases duration to nearly a year. "It's a win-win for Merck," Berens said. "This drug has its own activity," he said, "but it also means they can sell more of their flagship drug."
