Bristol-Myers Squibb and BioNTech Advance New Lung Cancer Weapon Against Keytruda in Phase 3 Trial

Biontech Se Sponsored Adr (BNTX), Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMY) announced an update on their ongoing clinical study.

Study Overview

The ROSETTA Lung-202 phase 3 trial tests a new cancer drug, pumitamig, against the current standard therapy pembrolizumab in people with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors show high PD-L1 levels (≥50%). The study aims to see whether pumitamig can match or beat pembrolizumab as first-line treatment, which would be important for future lung cancer care and could reshape a key part of the immuno-oncology market.

Intervention/Treatment

The trial compares two single-drug (monotherapy) treatments. The experimental drug is pumitamig (also known as BMS-986545), an immune-based cancer therapy designed to help the body’s immune system better attack lung cancer cells. The control drug is pembrolizumab, a widely used immune checkpoint inhibitor and current standard option for this type of lung cancer. Both drugs are given on set dosing schedules.

Study Design

This is a randomized, double-blind, phase 3 interventional study. Participants are randomly assigned to receive either pumitamig or pembrolizumab, and neither they nor their doctors know which drug they are getting, which helps reduce bias. The two treatment arms run in parallel, and the main goal is to treat the cancer and compare outcomes such as tumor control and survival between the two groups.

Study Timeline

The study was first submitted on January 21, 2026, which signals the formal regulatory start of the trial planning. The overall status is “Not yet recruiting,” meaning patient enrollment has not started yet. The same date, January 21, 2026, is listed as the last update, so all available details are very early-stage. No primary completion or final completion dates are posted yet, which suggests key efficacy data are still several years away.

Market Implications

For Bristol-Myers Squibb and BioNTech, this trial represents a long-term option to challenge or share in the lucrative first-line NSCLC segment currently dominated by pembrolizumab (Keytruda, from Merck). A strong future readout in favor of pumitamig could open a major new revenue stream, support premium pricing, and strengthen both companies’ positions in immuno-oncology. For now, the impact on BMY and BNTX shares is likely modest because the trial is just starting and years from readout, but it adds to each company’s pipeline story and could support sentiment among growth-oriented investors. In the broader sector, this underscores ongoing competition around PD-L1–high NSCLC, where Merck still leads, but investors should note that any sign of non-inferiority or superiority versus pembrolizumab would be a meaningful catalyst.

The ROSETTA Lung-202 study is an ongoing and newly updated clinical program, with further details available on the ClinicalTrials portal.

To learn more about BNTX’s potential, visit the Biontech Se Sponsored Adr drug pipeline page.