Novartis' Late-stage Study On Advanced Skin Cancer Fails To Meet Primary Endpoint

(RTTNews) - Novartis (NVS) said that that a late-stage study, which evaluated the investigational immunotherapy spartalizumab in combination with Tafinlar and Mekinist, did not meet its primary endpoint for patients with advanced skin cancer.

The Phase III COMBI-i study did not improve progression-free survival in previously untreated patients with BRAF V600 mutation-positive cutaneous melanoma, compared to Tafinlar + Mekinist alone, the company said in a statement.

However, the company said it remains committed to exploring new uses for immunotherapy in cancer treatment, including the ongoing development of spartalizumab, across a range of tumor types.

Novartis noted that Tafinlar and Mekinist are prescription medicines that can be used in combination to treat people with a type of skin cancer called melanoma.

Tafinlar and Mekinist are also prescription medications that can be used in combination to treat a type of lung cancer called non-small cell lung cancer that has spread to other parts of the body.

Tafinlar and Mekinist are prescription medications that can be used in combination to treat a type of thyroid cancer called anaplastic thyroid cancer.

Novartis warned that Tafinlar, in combination with Mekinist, should not be used to treat people with wild-type BRAF melanoma. Mekinist should not be used to treat people who already have received a BRAF inhibitor for treatment of their melanoma and it did not work or is no longer working.