The PD-1 inhibitor missed the mark in the phase 3 KEYNOTE-412 trial in 780 newly-diagnosed patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), a notoriously hard-to-treat form of cancer.

Head and neck cancer comprises a group of biologically similar cancers that start in the lip, oral cavity (mouth), nasal cavity (inside the nose), paranasal sinuses, pharynx and larynx.