The cancer drug Erbitux, which is manufactured by Merck & Co., Inc, has failed to produce any significant new results for the second month in a row. The German pharmaceutical company, one of the largest in the world, watched helplessly as their wonder drug crashed and burned, ultimately failing in its quest to increase the life span of those patients suffering from gastic cancer.
Sadly, Merck’s drug achieved roughly the same results in May. During a trial with centered around individuals who had certain types of colon cancer, the drug did not benefit the participants in any significant way. Details surrounding these trials will be presented in greater detail during various international scientific meetings in the near future.
Annalisa Jenkins, Head of Global Drug Development and Medical for the Merck Serono division, commented on the drug’s poor performance. “Understandably, these results are disappointing for patients with advanced gastric cancer, and as a company we will continue to invest in oncology research and development to find new treatments for these diseases with high unmet medical need.” It’s unclear if more trials will be scheduled for the future.
Despite this setback, Erbitux will still be used to treat metastatic colon cancer and head and neck cancer, areas where the drug has been most successful. Merck has enjoyed quite a bit of financial success with the aforementioned drug; Erbitux sales reached $1.07 billion last year.