04:56 AM EDT, 05/06/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Calliditas Therapeutics ( CALT ) said Monday that data from a phase 2 trial of its drug candidate setanaxib in combination with pembrolizumab in patients with head and neck cancer met its secondary endpoints, including progress-free survival and overall survival.

The randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study of 55 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck showed no significant difference in its primary endpoint of reducing tumor size, the company said.

The company described the tolerability of setanaxib when given with pembrolizumab as generally good, with no new safety concerns identified.