Merck KGaA’s Erbitux cancer treatment failed to help patients with advanced stomach tumors in a late- stage clinical trial, dealing the company a setback in the effort to expand sales of its second-biggest-selling medicine. The drug, combined with two other medicines, didn’t extend the length of time that patients lived without their disease getting worse, the Darmstadt, Germany-based company said in a statement today. The results are the second disappointment this year for Erbitux. The company said May 9 the drug failed to show a benefit for stage-three colon cancer patients when given with chemotherapy as a way to prevent the cancer’s return following tumor removal. Merck’s forecast in May for company revenue to reach as much as 10.7 billion euros ($13 billion) in 2014 didn’t include approval of Erbitux for use in additional cancer types.
