Merck and Eisai Halt Late-Stage Trial for Liver Cancer Therapy

Merck and Eisai have discontinued a late-stage Phase III study evaluating their combination therapy for liver cancer after the treatment failed to meet its primary endpoints. The decision marks a setback for the companies’ long-running oncology partnership and dims expectations for expanding the indications for their co-developed drug. The trial was intended to assess improved overall survival and progression-free survival benefits in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, but interim results did not demonstrate a statistically meaningful advantage over standard care. The termination reflects the complexity of treating liver cancer, a disease with limited therapeutic breakthroughs and high unmet medical need. Both companies will continue to explore other development pathways for the combination in different tumour types, but the outcome is expected to reshape near-term revenue expectations for their oncology portfolios.