Eisai and MSD have announced data at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2019 Congress, demonstrating that Lenvima (lenvatinib) in combination with Keytruda (pembrolizumab) had an anti-tumour effect in patients with advanced endometrial cancer irrespective of biomarker status.

The results, which are from KEYNOTE-146/Study 111, evaluated the oral receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) with MSD’s cancer blockbuster and found an objective response rate (ORR) at week 24 of 38.0%. Further, in patients whose tumours were MSI-H or dMMR they found that ORR at week 24 was 63.6%.

Following the positive results of the trial, the companies have announced that the LEAP-001 Phase III study is now underway to investigate the potential of the combination as a first-line treatment for advanced/metastatic endometrial cancer.

The results are a “welcome development in the treatment of patients with advanced endometrial cancer, a patient group with an unmet medical need”, said Dr. Vicky Makker, principal investigator and medical oncologist, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

The overall safety profile of the drug combo was similar to previously reported profiles of each monotherapy, however incidence of hypothyroidism was higher than previously reported profiles of each treatment.

Endometrial cancer is the sixth most commonly occurring cancer in women, accounting for more than one in 20 female cancers in Europe, and the incidence of this disease is set to rise.