UPDATE: Bristol-Myers offers update on liver cancer trial, to sell Otezla to hasten close of Celgene deal

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. shares fell 4% in premarket trade Monday, after the company said a late-stage study of its Opdivo as a treatment for a type of liver cancer failed to meet its main goals. The company said the Phase 3 study called CheckMate -459 evaluating Opdivo versus sorafenib as a first-line treatment in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma, or HCC, failed to meet its primary endpoint of overall survival, or OS. "While CheckMate -459 did not reach its pre-specified primary endpoint, the results showed a clear trend towards improvement in OS for patients treated with Opdivo compared to sorafenib, a current standard of care," the company said in a statement. The full study results will be presented at a coming medical meeting, said the statement. HCC is the fastest rising cause of cancer-related death in the U.S. Separately, Bristol-Myers said it is planning to sell Otezla, a treatment for certain types of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, in an effort to address Federal Trade Commission concerns about its pending merger with Celgene Corp. . "The proceeds of the OTEZLA sale will allow Bristol-Myers Squibb to accelerate its post-closing deleveraging plans," the company said. The companies are expecting to close the deal at year-end or in early 2020. Bristol-Myer shares are down 5.2% in 2019 through Friday, while the S&P 500 has gained 17.7%.

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