Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany announced the discontinuation of the Phase III randomized TrilynX study evaluating xevinapant plus chemo-radio sensitizing properties of xevinapant. The company will conduct an in-depth review of the data and will share the results in a peer-reviewed forum. LA SCCHN has proven to be a difficult-to-treat form of cancer.

CRT has remained the standard of care for decades, despite multiple studies designed to improve outcomes with new treatment approaches, including multiple immunotherapy trials. Given the totality of the data, the company decided to also stop the Phase III clinical trial X-Ray Vision (xevinapant plus radiotherapy, compared to placebo plus radiotherapy) in patients who underwent resection of locally advanced head and neck cancer. The company is working to develop and deliver new treatment options that exploit the vulnerabilities of tumor cells.

The company is exploring modalities including antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) and DNA damage response (DDR) inhibitors, across multiple tumor types, including many that have proven difficult to treat where there are significant unmet needs for patients. The company's support for the head and neck cancer community remains steadfast with Erbitux, which the company commercializes outside of the U.S. and Canada. Erbitux is approved in Europe in combination with radiotherapy for the treatment of locally advanced SCCHN.

Erbitux continues to be studied in more than 200 active clinical trials, including at least 15 Phase III studies.