Merck presents MK-1454 Phase 1 data for treatment of advanced solid tumors or lymphomas

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced the first presentation of preliminary data from a Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating MK-1454, an investigational STING (stimulator of interferon genes) agonist, as monotherapy and in combination with KEYTRUDA^® (pembrolizumab), Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, in patients with advanced solid tumors or lymphomas. MK-1454 is one of more than 20 novel investigational immuno-therapeutic candidates Merck is evaluating as part of its broad oncology pipeline. The findings for MK-1454 were accepted as a late-breaking abstract and are being presented today in a poster discussion session at the ESMO 2018 Congress (Abstract #LBA15).

"Merck is advancing a broad pipeline focused on the development of novel therapies with potential to provide meaningful clinical benefit to people with advanced cancers," said Dr. Eric H. Rubin, senior vice president, early-stage development, clinical oncology, Merck Research Laboratories. "We are encouraged by these early findings with our STING agonist, most notably the observations of several robust anti-tumor responses in patients receiving MK-1454 in combination with KEYTRUDA. Further studies are ongoing."