Pembrolizumab fails as monotherapy in breast cancer trial

A phase III trial of pembrolizumab for second- or third-line treatment of metastatic triple-negative breast cancer has failed to demonstrate superior overall survival compared to chemotherapy, manufacturer Merck has announced.
The pre-specified primary endpoint of superior overall survival compared to chemotherapy (capecitabine, eribulin, gemcitabine or vinorelbine) was not met in the phase III KEYNOTE-119 trial.