U.S. FDA places Mersana's cancer drug trial on hold following death

Bengaluru: Mersana Therapeutics Inc said on Monday that the U.S. drug regulator had placed an early-stage trial testing its experimental cancer drug after the death of a participant.

The company said the death was of a patient enrolled at the initial dose level in the dose escalation portion. The study was testing the company's XMT-2056 candidate.

The company is now focused on analyzing the death and "consider potential next steps for development," Chief Executive Officer Anna Protopapas said in a statement.

The company will continue to make progress with the other cancer drug candidate UpRi and XMT-1660 clinical trials.

Shares of Mersana were halted before the bell.