Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the European Commission (EC) approved Libtayo® (cemiplimab) as monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer and disease progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy. The EC approval in advanced cervical cancer is based on data from the global Phase 3 EMPOWER-Cervical 1 trial, which was conducted with the GOG Foundation, Inc. (GOG), the European Network for Gynaecological Oncological Trial groups (ENGOT) and NRG Oncology-Japan. The trial evaluated Libtayo in comparison to an investigator's choice of chemotherapy and enrolled 608 patients across 14 countries, irrespective of PD-L1 expression status or histology.

In March 2021, the trial was stopped early based on the highly significant effect of Libtayo on overall survival (OS) among squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) patients following a unanimous recommendation by the Independent Data Monitoring Committee. Cervical cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide and is most frequently diagnosed between the ages of 35 and 44. Approximately 600,000 new cases of cervical cancer and 350,000 deaths from cervical cancer occur worldwide each year.

Almost all cases are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, with approximately 80% classified as squamous cell carcinoma (SCC; arising from cells lining the external portion of the cervix) and the remainder largely adenocarcinomas (arising from glandular cells lining the internal portion of the cervix). Cervical cancer is often curable when detected early and effectively managed, but treatment options are more limited in advanced stages.