Another blow for combination immunotherapy

Another day, another dropped combination immunotherapy trial. Two, actually: An uptick of “mortality-related events” in the combination arm of a Janssen Phase 1b/2 trial is leading the drug maker to scuttle any further study of a second early stage combination trial. Specifically, Janssen is ending its Phase 1 study of daratumumab in a multiple myeloma trial. Daratumumab — a multiple myeloma blockbuster from Danish biotech Genmab — was being studied in combination with a checkpoint inhibitor in Janssen's pipeline. The drug maker is also ending a Phase 1b/2 trial of the drug — sold under trade name Darzalex — in combination with atezolizumab, or Tecentriq, in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Neither of the combination therapies showed any benefit. And the increase in these “mortality-related events” suggests that daratumumab may be a poor candidate for further combination study.

Investors are already a bit spooked about the whole combination therapy rodeo: About two months back, Incyte had that failed Phase 3 trial, and much of the data from clinical trial research abstracts released by the American Society of Clinical Oncology appeared to be disappointing.