Pembrolizumab (formerly lambrolizumab) being MK 3475 success in Phase 1b trial for Head & Neck Cancer

Merck Inc., has announced the first presentation of early findings from a Phase 1b study (KEYNOTE-012) evaluating pembrolizumab (MK-3475), Merck�s investigational anti-PD-1 antibody, as a single-agent (monotherapy) in patients with PD-L1 positive, advanced head and neck cancer. Early data showed a best overall response rate of 20 percent (confirmed and unconfirmed) (n=11/56) (95% CI, 10.2- 32.4) with 29 percent of patients having stable disease as measured by RECIST criteria (n=16/56) (95% CI, 17.3-42.2). Similar overall response rates were observed in Human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive and HPV-negative patients � HPV infection is a risk factor for some types of head and neck cancer. In the study, tumour shrinkage was demonstrated in 51 percent of evaluable patients who had measurable disease with one post baseline scan, per RECIST criteria (n=26/51). These early findings were presented today in an oral session by Dr. Tanguy Seiwert, associate director of the Head and Neck Cancer Program and assistant professor of medicine at The University of Chicago, at the 50th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO 2014) in Chicago (Abstract #6011;).

Merck recently announced the nonproprietary name for MK-3475 is pembrolizumab. This follows the review of pembrolizumab by both the United States Adopted Names Council and the International Nonproprietary Names Programme of the World Health Organization. Pembrolizumab replaces the previously proposed name, lambrolizumab. .