Nisha Pandey

Health and Me

Merck’s Experimental Drug Extends Survival By Nearly 7 Months In Endometrial Cancer Trial

An experimental cancer drug being developed by pharmaceutical giant Merck has extended survival by almost seven months in women with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer, according to results from a late-stage clinical trial. The treatment also reduced the risk of cancer progression or death compared to standard chemotherapy.

The findings were presented at the 2026 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress and published in The Lancet. The drug, sacituzumab tirumotecan, also known as sac-TMT, was tested in patients whose cancer had returned or progressed after previous treatment.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the drug for priority review. Their decision is expected by June 2027, although the company hopes that the drug approval could arrive sooner than expected.

Also read: <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/contraceptive-coil-saved-my-life-womans-persistent-abdominal-pain-led-her-to-ovarian-cancer-diagnosis-article-156346853" data-type="tilCustomLink">'Contraceptive Coil Saved My Life': UK Woman's Persistent Abdominal Pain Led Her To Ovarian Cancer Diagnosis</a>

The Phase 3 TroFuse-005 trial enrolled 776 patients with advanced <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-wellness/endometriosis-old-anti-parasite-drug-reduced-lesions-in-mouse-study-article-156262513" data-type="tilCustomLink">endometrial cancer</a> that had returned. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either sac-TMT or chemotherapy, consisting doxorubicin or paclitaxel.

Patients receiving sac-TMT had a median overall survival of 19 months, compared to 12.1 months among those receiving chemotherapy. This represents a 6.9-month difference in median survival and a 32% reduction in the risk of death.

The experimental treatment also showed improvement in progression-free survival, which measures how long patients live without their cancer worsening. Median progression-free survival was 7.2 months with sac-TMT, compared to 3.9 months with chemotherapy, representing a 41% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death.

Tumours shrank in 35.1% of patients receiving sac-TMT, compared with 17.3% in the chemotherapy group.

“Sac-TMT demonstrated an improvement in overall survival of almost seven months for women with endometrial cancer who progress following treatment with platinum-based chemotherapy and anti-PD-1 therapy,” said Dean Y. Li, president of Merck Research Laboratories.

The findings are particularly relevant for patients whose disease progresses after platinum-based chemotherapy and immunotherapy, limiting their treatment options.

Also read: <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-wellness/women-are-travelling-to-mexico-for-endometriosis-surgery-as-canada-is-doing-a-poor-job-at-providing-care-article-156326032" data-type="tilCustomLink">Women Are Travelling To Mexico For Endometriosis Surgery As Canada Is Doing A 'Poor' Job At Providing Care</a>

Sac-TMT belongs to a class of medicines called antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). These treatments combine an antibody that recognises a target on cancer cells with a drug designed to kill them.

Sac-TMT targets TROP2, a protein found on the surface of many cancer cells, including endometrial tumours. After binding to its target, the drug delivers a <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-wellness/womans-bleeding-abdominal-swelling-linked-to-rare-cancer-after-being-mistaken-for-perimenopause-what-is-fatwo-article-156403214" data-type="tilCustomLink">cancer</a> killing payload that damage the tumour cells.

It aims to direct treatment towards cancer cells, but it does not eliminate the possibility of side effects in healthy tissues. Merck is developing sac-TMT in partnership with Chinese biotechnology company Kelun-Biotech, which discovered the drug.

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The survival benefit came with a higher rate of severe treatment-related side effects. Grade 3 or higher treatment-related adverse events occurred in 54.4% of patients receiving sac-TMT, compared to 41.4% of those undergoing chemotherapy. 

Common serious adverse events included anaemia and neutropenia, a reduction in neutrophils, the white blood cells that help the body fight infections. About 3.1% of patients in the sac-TMT group stopped the treatment because of side effects. The findings highlight the need to weigh the survival benefit against treatment risks.

Endometrial cancer develops in the lining of the uterus and is among the most common gynaecological cancers. Advanced or recurrent disease can be difficult to treat, particularly when it progresses after chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

The researchers believe the trial results could help expand treatment options for this group of patients. “Based on discussions with the FDA, the company is hopeful for an approval before the PDUFA date to bring sac-TMT to patients as quickly as possible,” Li said.

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An experimental cancer drug being developed by pharmaceutical giant Merck has extended survival by almost seven months in women with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer, according to results from a late-stage clinical trial. The treatment also reduced the risk of cancer progression or death compared to standard chemotherapy.The findings were presented at the 2026 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress and published in The Lancet. The drug, sacituzumab tirumotecan, also known as sac-TMT, was tested in patients whose cancer had returned or progressed after previous treatment. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the drug for priority review. Their decision is expected by June 2027, although the company hopes that the drug approval could arrive sooner than expected.Findings From The TrialAlso read: 'Contraceptive Coil Saved My Life': UK Woman's Persistent Abdominal Pain Led Her To Ovarian Cancer DiagnosisThe Phase 3 TroFuse-005 trial enrolled 776 patients with advanced endometrial cancer that had returned. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either sac-TMT or chemotherapy, consisting doxorubicin or paclitaxel.Patients receiving sac-TMT had a median overall survival of 19 months, compared to 12.1 months among those receiving chemotherapy. This represents a 6.9-month difference in median survival and a 32% reduction in the risk of death.The experimental treatment also showed improvement in progression-free survival, which measures how long patients live without their cancer worsening. Median progression-free survival was 7.2 months with sac-TMT, compared to 3.9 months with chemotherapy, representing a 41% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death.Tumours shrank in 35.1% of patients receiving sac-TMT, compared with 17.3% in the chemotherapy group.“Sac-TMT demonstrated an improvement in overall survival of almost seven months for women with endometrial cancer who progress following treatment with platinum-based chemotherapy and anti-PD-1 therapy,” said Dean Y. Li, president of Merck Research Laboratories.The findings are particularly relevant for patients whose disease progresses after platinum-based chemotherapy and immunotherapy, limiting their treatment options.How Does Sac-TMT Work?Also read: Women Are Travelling To Mexico For Endometriosis Surgery As Canada Is Doing A 'Poor' Job At Providing CareSac-TMT belongs to a class of medicines called antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). These treatments combine an antibody that recognises a target on cancer cells with a drug designed to kill them.Sac-TMT targets TROP2, a protein found on the surface of many cancer cells, including endometrial tumours. After binding to its target, the drug delivers a cancer killing payload that damage the tumour cells.It aims to direct treatment towards cancer cells, but it does not eliminate the possibility of side effects in healthy tissues. Merck is developing sac-TMT in partnership with Chinese biotechnology company Kelun-Biotech, which discovered the drug.Side Effects Of Sac-TMT   The survival benefit came with a higher rate of severe treatment-related side effects. Grade 3 or higher treatment-related adverse events occurred in 54.4% of patients receiving sac-TMT, compared to 41.4% of those undergoing chemotherapy. Common serious adverse events included anaemia and neutropenia, a reduction in neutrophils, the white blood cells that help the body fight infections. About 3.1% of patients in the sac-TMT group stopped the treatment because of side effects. The findings highlight the need to weigh the survival benefit against treatment risks.Endometrial cancer develops in the lining of the uterus and is among the most common gynaecological cancers. Advanced or recurrent disease can be difficult to treat, particularly when it progresses after chemotherapy and immunotherapy.The researchers believe the trial results could help expand treatment options for this group of patients. “Based on discussions with the FDA, the company is hopeful for an approval before the PDUFA date to bring sac-TMT to patients as quickly as possible,” Li said.

merck’s experimental drug extends survival by nearly 7 months in endometrial cancer trial

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