Merck announced that data across several modalities and mechanisms targeting difficult-to-treat cancers will be presented at the 2019 American Society of Clinical Oncology (Asco) Annual Meeting, May 31–June 4, Chicago, IL, US. New data will be presented for Bavencio (avelumab) and Erbitux (cetuximab), including rational combinations with chemotherapy, radiation therapy and other targeted agents to try to identify new ways to improve patient outcomes. This includes an oral presentation of data defining biomarkers that differentiate therapy-specific outcomes in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC), and who have been treated first-line with Bavencio (avelumab) in combination with axitinib. Abstracts also showcase the scientific innovation and diversity of Merck’s pipeline, with results from a number of high-priority clinical development programs, including tepotinib†, bintrafusp alfa‡ (M7824) and the company’s comprehensive DNA Damage Response (DDR) portfolio.
“At this year’s Asco meeting we continue to demonstrate the breadth and depth of our oncology and immuno-oncology portfolio. We will present examples of the latest precision medicine and biomarker research and some of the most exciting mechanisms being investigated today, including tepotinib and our first-in-class bifunctional fusion protein immunotherapy, bintrafusp alfa. Merck’s oncology pipeline has significant promise in the near term through our late-stage priority programs, and our early pipeline includes several potentially groundbreaking modalities. We look forward to sharing the latest science with the global oncology community.”
Luciano Rossetti, Global Head of Research & Development for the Biopharma business of Merck
A number of the molecules to be featured were discovered in-house at Merck. This includes tepotinib, an oral MET inhibitor designed to inhibit the oncogenic MET receptor signaling caused by MET (gene) alterations, and bintrafusp alfa, a bifunctional fusion protein designed to simultaneously target two immuno-suppressive pathways. Merck’s partnership with GSK to jointly develop and commercialize bintrafusp alfa, announced in February 2019, is part of the company’s strategic approach to oncology R&D. Together, Merck and GSK aim to rapidly and efficiently progress this molecule, which represents a potential step change in the treatment of cancer.
Merck takes a personalized approach to R&D, and precision medicine has long been a priority. Abstracts being presented at Asco also include biomarker research programs that aim to help identify the patients most likely to benefit from specific treatments so they can achieve the best possible medical outcomes.
