The companies plan to start the phase I/Ib clinical trial in the second half of this year.
Avelumab, which is Merck’s lead immuno-oncology compound, is a fully human anti-PD-L1 IgG1 monoclonal antibody. It is currently under clinical investigation across a range of tumor types
By inhibiting PD-L1 interactions, avelumab is believed to potentially allow the activation of T-cells and the adaptive immune system.
Avelumab is being developed and commercialized jointly by Merck and Pfizer under an alliance formed in November 2014.
VS-6063, Verastem’s lead product candidate, is an inhibitor of FAK, a protein often overproduced in tumors, allowing cancer cells to avoid attack by the immune system.
VS-6063 has a good safety profile and demonstrated initial signs of activity in a 46 patient, phase 1 trial, in advanced solid tumors.
Pfizer Oncology vice president and head of early development, translational and immuno-oncology Chris Boshoff said: "Through this collaboration, we hope to advance our understanding of how FAK inhibition may complement our development program for avelumab, with the ultimate goal of potentially achieving better outcomes for women with ovarian cancer."
Pfizer and Merck are also evaluating avelumab with Syndax Pharmaceuticals’ entinostat, a treatment which is being studied in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer.
Ovarian cancer is the seventh most common cancer in women. About 239,000 cases are diagnosed per year globally.
Image: Merck, Pfizer and Verastem will collaborate to evaluate avelumab and VS-6063 in advanced ovarian cancer. Photo: courtesy of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany.