Merck KGaA ends lung cancer vaccine trials

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German drugmaker Merck KGaA drug stopped all remaining clinical studies of the experimental lung cancer vaccine tecemotide, formerly known as Stimuvax, after renewed attempts to show its effectiveness failed. The drug - licensed from U.S. biotech firm Oncothyreon - was being be tested on patients with Stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but disappointing results of a trial in Japan prompted the company to stop all other studies involving tecemotide, it said on Friday. Merck a year go re-started tests on the treatment, which had failed a previous late-stage clinical trial. (Reporting by Ludwig Burger; Editing by Arno Schuetze)