Merck, Targovax Team Up for New Mesothelioma Clinical Trial

Standard-of-care treatment for malignant mesothelioma could change significantly, depending upon the results of an upcoming clinical trial of two immunotherapy agents used in combination with chemotherapy. The mesothelioma clinical trial will involve pembrolizumab, also known by the brand name Keytruda, and its synergy with ONCOS-102, a lesser-known, genetically modified adenovirus. Individually, both have shown modest efficacy for mesothelioma patients when used with chemotherapy. Together, there is potential for a much greater impact in significantly extending patient survival. The clinical trial is a partnership between Targovax, a small Scandinavian biotech company that produces ONCOS-102, and the pharmaceutical company Merck & Co. Inc., which manufactures Keytruda. “We could end up with a very powerful immunotherapy combination,” Dr. Magnus Jaderberg, chief medical officer at Targovax, told The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com. “Standard of care will likely change in the next couple years. There is a good chance ONCOS-102 could be part of that.” Synergy of Mesothelioma Treatments Critical First-line standard of care for pleural mesothelioma patients today — intravenous use of pemetrexed (Alimta) and cisplatin chemotherapy — has not changed for almost two decades, limiting patients to a median 12-month overall survival rate. In 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration did approve the use of Tumor Treating Fields, which utilizes low-voltage electrica...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Source Type: news