Merck Announces New Data on Breadth of KEYTRUDA at ASCO: Anti-Tumor Activity Now Shown in 13 Different Tumor Types

Merck

, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced the first-time presentation of findings investigating the use of KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab), the company's anti-PD-1 therapy, in multiple, difficult-to-treat cancers, including advanced small cell lung cancer (SCLC), esophageal cancer and ovarian cancer from the KEYNOTE-028 Phase 1b study. These data, which were presented at the 51st Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago, May 29 – June 2, 2015, build upon Merck's broad and fast-growing immuno-oncology clinical development program for KEYTRUDA. "The breadth and depth of the data being shared at ASCO reinforces the potential for the broad clinical activity that we have seen with KEYTRUDA in multiple types of cancer," said Dr. Roy Baynes, senior vice president and head of global clinical development, Merck Research Laboratories. "Our goal is to help people with cancer and these data are furthering our understanding of which patients may be more likely to benefit from our anti-PD-1 therapy." As of ASCO, data presented has demonstrated anti-tumor activity with KEYTRUDA in 13 different tumor types. Registrational trials are planned or ongoing in eight different tumor types, as monotherapy and in combination with other therapies. KEYTRUDA was the first anti-PD-1 therapy approved in the United States and is currently indicated at a dose of 2 mg/kg administered every three weeks for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma and disease progression following ipilimumab and, if BRAF V600 mutation positive, a BRAF inhibitor. Please see below for complete indication and selected safety information for KEYTRUDA.