Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany and Pfizer announced that six abstracts on studies evaluating the potential role of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibition and the safety and efficacy of the investigational cancer immunotherapy avelumab* will be presented at this year’s ECC in Vienna, Austria, September 25–29, 2015.
New data will be presented in urothelial (e.g. bladder), mesothelioma and gastric/gastroesophageal cancers. Additional NSCLC and ovarian cancer data from Phase Ib trials build on those previously presented at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). As the promise of immuno-oncology continues to grow, these new data help to further the understanding of the potential role of avelumab for patients suffering from cancers with high unmet need.
Despite continued progress in bringing new treatments to patients, there remains a significant unmet need across many types of cancer. For example, the incidence of gastric cancer remains a major public issue in Western and Asian countries, and there is a continued need to better understand the disease biology to provide patients with the most appropriate and effective treatment. For some cancer types, such as mesothelioma, the incidence rates are rising worldwide, with limited treatment options currently available for patients.
Currently, more than 1,000 cancer patients have been treated with avelumab in the Phase I/Ib clinical program (JAVELIN Solid Tumor), and more than 15 tumor types are under investigation.
