A cancer drug that Pfizer gained through its acquisition of Seagen has hit a setback in a lung cancer study, according to BioPharma Dive.
The medicine, sigvotatug vedotin, produced disappointing results in the trial. That is a meaningful blow because, as BioPharma Dive reports, Pfizer has positioned the drug as an important contributor to its future. The weak showing dims the near-term outlook for that plan.
Still, the story isn't entirely bleak. BioPharma Dive notes that some analysts remain optimistic about the drug's prospects in a separate, ongoing trial. In other words, one disappointing result doesn't necessarily close the door on the medicine — its fate may hinge on data still to come.
The context matters. Pfizer paid a steep price to bring Seagen into the fold, betting that the smaller company's pipeline of cancer treatments would help drive growth. Drugs like sigvotatug vedotin belong to a class designed to deliver cancer-killing payloads more precisely than older chemotherapy. When a closely watched candidate from such a deal underperforms, it raises questions about how quickly the acquisition will pay off.
Why it matters: Pfizer is counting on its Seagen-acquired cancer drugs to fuel future growth, so a stumble for one of its highlighted medicines tests whether that expensive bet will deliver as promised.