GSK and Merck, collectively known as MSD, announced today that it will move forward with a phase I clinical trial that will combine GSK’s investigational immunotherapy GSK3174998 with Merck’s anti-PD-1 therapy, KEYTRUDA.
This combination will be designed for patients who have recurrent or metastatic solid tumors that are not responding to standard treatment.
GSK3174998 is just one of many early stage contributions in GSK’s oncology pipeline. KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) is a humanized monoclonal antibody that increases the ability of the body’s immune system to help detect and fight tumor cells. The combination for this immunotherapy could have a significant effect for patients.
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According to Business Wire, Axel Hoos, Vice President Oncology R&D at GSK, said:
“There have been meaningful advances in survival across several cancers recently, mostly based on single agent checkpoint modulatory drugs. The combination study of KEYTRUDA with GSK’s OX40 agonist will seek to build on that progress with the aim of contributing further improvements for patients. We think combining these two agents that use different aspects of the immune system may be an important step toward achieving this goal.”
“The initiation of this phase I trial with GSK is an important step in identifying synergistic treatment combinations that can potentially enhance the activity we are seeing with KEYTRUDA as a monotherapy,” said Dr. Eric Rubin, Vice President and therapeutic area head, oncology early stage development, Merck Research Laboratories. “We are looking forward to this trial progressing and to sharing the findings on the potential of the combination of KEYTRUDA and GSK’s GSK3174998 in bringing forward improved outcomes for patients with advanced cancer.”
Photo: Flickr user Ed Uthman
