07:47 AM EST, 01/24/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Merck ( MRK ) and Eisai said Friday that results from a phase 3 trial of Keytruda (pembrolizumab) and Lenvima (lenvatinib) in combination with chemotherapy as a first-line treatment of patients with locally advanced inoperable or metastatic gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma showed "statistically significant improvement" in progression-free survival, a primary endpoint.

The potential treatment for the epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative indication of gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma also met a secondary endpoint of objective response rate compared with standard of care chemotherapy, Merck ( MRK ), which produces Keytruda, and Eisai, which discovered Lenvima, said.

The treatment fell short of meeting its other primary endpoint of overall survival in the study, the companies said.