Merck Sharp and Dohme and Plexxikon announce immuno-oncology alliance

Merck Sharp and Dohme has announced a new alliance with Plexxikon on the development of a new combination immuno-oncology regimen.

The collaborative clinical trial will evaluate the combination of Plexxikon's investigational CSF-1R inhibitor PLX3397 and Keytruda, Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, which provides the potential for a double blockade of cancer-induced immune suppression.

Patients with advanced melanoma and multiple other solid tumours will start to be enrolled midway through the year, with the goal of determining the safety and tolerability of the combination therapy.

It is hoped that the combination of these two agents will be able to reactivate anti-tumour immunity using distinct and complementary mechanisms.

Dr Eric Rubin, therapeutic area head for oncology early-stage development at Merck Research Laboratories, said: "We are at an important juncture in the advancement of immuno-oncology, and this is why Merck is focused on this area of breakthrough science."

This comes after the firm allied with Eisai to assess the benefits of new combination cancer therapies earlier this year.