In two days, two Cambridge, Mass.-based pharma companies have paused their cancer drug trials after six patients died.
The most recent paused research includes Mersana Therapeutics' phase 3 UP-NEXT and phase 1 UPGRADE-A trials, which are testing UpRi in platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer. Current study participants are allowed to continue the treatment, but the FDA paused further enrollment.
The partially blocked study follows reports of five fatal bleeding events happening among about 560 patients, Mersana said June 15. The day prior, 2seventy Bio paused a phase 3 trial for a leukemia drug candidate after the first patient to take the medication died.
All reported deaths are under investigation.