March 15 (Reuters) - Merck ( MRK ) said on Friday its

blockbuster immunotherapy Keytruda, in combination with

chemoradiotherapy, met the main goal of improving overall

survival for newly diagnosed patients with a form of cervical

cancer in a late-stage study.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration had in January

approved the expanded use of the combination to treat patients

who have advanced cervical cancer and had not previously

received surgery, radiation or systemic therapy.

The January approval was based on a late-stage study where

the drug combination reduced the risk of cancer progression or

death but had not shown clinically meaningful improvement in

overall survival when compared to chemotherapy alone.

The Keytruda combo has been approved for two indications

related to the treatment of cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer, which forms in the cells lining the cervix,

is the fourth most common cancer in women globally, according to

the World Health Organization.