Genmab’s bispecific antibody petosemtamab plus Keytruda cuts death risk by half in Phase 3 head‑and‑neck cancer trial

Genmab announced that its bispecific antibody petosemtamab, combined with Merck’s Keytruda, met both co‑primary endpoints in a Phase 3 trial for head‑and‑neck squamous cell carcinoma.

The LiGeR‑HN1 study enrolled roughly 700 patients with PD‑L1‑positive disease and showed a 50% reduction in the risk of death versus Keytruda alone, while also improving overall survival and objective response rate.

Analysts called the data "exceedingly positive" and potentially practice‑changing, marking a major win for Genmab’s growth strategy.

The result follows a string of recent positive readouts for Genmab, including data on its AbbVie‑partnered bispecific Epkinly and the ADC rinatabart sesute.