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Gilead Drug Delays Progression of Common Breast Cancers

Gilead Drug Delays Progression of Common Breast Cancers

Gilead Sciences Inc.’s drug Trodelvy slowed progression of a common type of breast cancer in early results from a study that could help expand use of the therapy.

The 543-patient study hit its main goal in treatment of spreading breast cancers bearing hormone receptors, proteins involved in cell growth that are often targeted by therapies. The interim analysis also showed a trend toward improvement in overall survival among patients treated with the drug, a secondary goal of the trial, according to a company statement. 

Gilead’s shares were little changed at 9:57 a.m. in New York as investors debated what more detailed findings might show. “Today’s news is good in that it removes worst-case fears of an outright negative study -- but we still need detailed numbers to draw strong conclusions,” Jefferies analyst Michael Yee wrote in a note to clients.

There is still “considerable uncertainty” about whether the results will turn out to be clinically meaningful, RBC Capital Markets analyst Brian Abrahams said in a note. 

Over time, the research may lead to expanded use of Trodelvy, currently approved for less-common breast cancers, called triple-negative, that lack targets for treatment. The trial had set a goal for a 30% reduction in risk of disease progression or death, but the company didn’t provide details of the drug’s performance in the trial, saying they would be presented at an upcoming medical conference.  

“Trodelvy demonstrated consistent activity in this difficult-to-treat patient population,” Chief Medical Officer Merdad Parsey said in the statement. “We are evaluating the data and will explore potential pathways with regulatory authorities to bring Trodelvy to this group of patients.”

The results were consistent with an earlier study in which patients who got the drug lived a median of 5.5 months before their cancers progressed, Gilead said. Final survival data is expected in 2024, but a second interim survival analysis could be done before then, the company said in a separate statement.

Known for making HIV pills and the Covid-19 drug remdesivir, Gilead has bet heavily on oncology drugs to help diversify beyond its profitable but mature antiviral products. The drugmaker acquired Trodelvy through its $21 billion purchase of its Immunomedics Inc. in 2020, and results from this study have been eagerly anticipated by investors. Also approved to treat advanced bladder tumors, the drug had $380 million in sales last year.

Side effects seen in the study were consistent with earlier findings, and no new safety concerns were identified, according to the statement. The tumor type treated in the trial represents about 70% of all breast cancer cases, Gilead said. 

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