Pfizer's PD-1 inhibitor, sasanlimab, has demonstrated promising results in a Phase 3 trial for bladder cancer treatment. When combined with standard therapy, sasanlimab significantly delayed death and disease complications compared to standard therapy alone. This outcome could provide Pfizer's subcutaneous immunotherapy with a competitive advantage over established drugs such as Merck & Co.'s Keytruda and Bristol Myers Squibb's Opdivo, particularly for patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) who have undergone surgery.
The trial evaluated sasanlimab in conjunction with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), a standard immunotherapy for bladder cancer that hasn't spread beyond the bladder lining after surgery. The results suggest that sasanlimab could offer a new treatment option for these patients. If approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), sasanlimab would be the fourth PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitor available as a subcutaneous injection, joining Roche's Tecentriq and Opdivo, which already have subcutaneous versions approved, and Merck's Keytruda, which has positive Phase 3 data for a subcutaneous formulation.
Eli Lilly Expands Fibrosis Portfolio
In other news, Eli Lilly has entered into a licensing agreement with Mediar Therapeutics for MTX-463, an experimental antibody drug targeting idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). MTX-463 is slated to enter Phase 2 clinical trials later this year, which Mediar will manage. Under the terms of the agreement, Lilly will have the option to lead further development and marketing of the drug, paying Mediar $99 million upfront and in near-term milestone payments. Mediar is also eligible to receive up to $687 million in additional milestone payments. MTX-463 targets WISP1, a protein implicated in fibrosis.
