Biotech drugmaker Amgen Inc. and a unit of Japanese drugmaker Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. have decided to stop enrollment in late-stage trial of an experimental cancer drug known as motesanib. The companies took this decision after patients on the drug died more often than those on placebo.

The trails were being conducted to check reliability of motesanib in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin to treat a type of lung cancer. Early data showed higher early mortality rates among patients receiving motesanib than among patients receiving a placebo, or dummy medication.

Companies added that a safety committee will review new data from the study in three months.