New Data Investigating Merck's Keytruda in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma to be Presented at AACR 2015

Merck (MSD outside the US and Canada) has announced that new data evaluating Keytruda (pembrolizumab), the company’s anti-PD-1 therapy, in both advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and malignant pleural mesothelioma will be presented as part of the Clinical Trials Plenary Session on Sunday 19 April at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, 18–22 April.

The NSCLC data will be the first presentation of new efficacy and safety findings for Keytruda from 495 patients, including validation of PD-L1 expression (abstract #CT104). These data are from the largest, multi-center Phase Ib (KEYNOTE-001) study of an anti-PD-1 therapy. With the mesothelioma findings (abstract #CT103), data evaluating Keytruda will have been presented in eight different types of cancer.

“Our clinical program is investigating the potential of KeytrudaA in a broad range of cancers where innovative approaches are truly needed – these data to be presented at AACR illustrate this effort,” said Dr Roger Dansey, senior vice president, Late-Stage Oncology Clinical Development, Merck Research Laboratories. “At AACR, we look forward to sharing new data for Keytruda across a range of challenging cancer types, especially in non-small cell lung cancer and mesothelioma.” 

In total, data from 14 abstracts evaluating Keytruda or MK-8628 (OTX015), Merck’s investigational BET-bromodomain inhibitor, will be presented at AACR 2015. Preclinical and early-phase data to be presented span multiple tumour types — such as prostate cancer, blood cancer and NSCLC.