Merck Drug Boosts Survival of Advanced Melanoma Patients
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Merck & Co.’s cancer drug being evaluated in nine different malignancies kept more than four of five melanoma patients alive for a year in a study, including some who had exhausted all other treatment options.
The research presented at the International Congress of the Society for Melanoma Research in Philadelphia found 41 percent responded to treatment and 9 percent showed evidence of the tumor disappearing. While the improvement emerged within three months for most patients, several responded more than six months later. One had a remission after 70 weeks of therapy.