Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced that 43 abstracts covering several modalities and mechanisms will be presented at the 2023 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, June 2-6, Chicago, Ill., US. New data for the medicines BAVENCIO^® (avelumab), ERBITUX^® (cetuximab), and TEPMETKO^® (tepotinib) and pipeline assets including the first-in-class investigational IAP (inhibitor of apoptosis protein) inhibitor xevinapant demonstrate the Company’s efforts to pioneer novel medicines intended to improve the lives of people living with cancer.

“The research we will present at ASCO 2023 demonstrates that we are not only maximizing the impact of our standard-of-care treatments but also advancing development programs focused on synergistic approaches targeting key cancer pathways and mechanisms,” said Victoria Zazulina, M.D., Head of Development Unit, Oncology, for the Healthcare business of Merck.

Key presentations include:

• BAVENCIO (Abstracts: 4515, 4516) clinical data reinforce its role as a standard of care in first-line maintenance for advanced urothelial carcinoma (UC): Poster discussions, including long-term safety analyses and an analysis of quality-adjusted survival from the Phase III JAVELIN Bladder 100 study, confirm the acceptable long-term benefit-risk profile as well as the net benefit estimate of BAVENCIO first-line (1L) maintenance and further support its use as a standard of care for advanced UC. As part of the JAVELIN Bladder regimen, BAVENCIO first-line maintenance has demonstrated the longest survival benefit seen to date in a global, randomized Phase III trial in advanced UC.

• Xevinapant (Abstracts: TPS6101, 6027) preclinical data supporting dosing rationale for this investigational IAP inhibitor as well as a trial-in-progress poster outlining design of the recently initiated Phase III XRay Vision^® study in locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (LA SCCHN): Preclinical data demonstrate the benefit of extended xevinapant treatment beyond the completion of xevinapant plus radiotherapy (RT) and support the rationale for administration of six cycles of xevinapant in the ongoing Phase III studies, while also indicating that restoring sensitivity to apoptosis may address some unmet treatment needs in LA SCCHN. The trial design of the ongoing randomized Phase III XRay Vision study also will be featured. This study is assessing xevinapant plus RT in patients with resected, high-risk LA SCCHN who are not eligible for cisplatin.

• TEPMETKO (Abstracts: 9021, 9060, 9070, 9074) data continue to demonstrate durable efficacy for first-line treatment of METex14 advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): Long-term outcomes from the VISION study, the largest study of a MET inhibitor in patients with METex14-skipping advanced NSCLC (N=313), demonstrate the robust and durable clinical activity of TEPMETKO, particularly in the first-line setting, detected by liquid and/or tissue biopsy: with median follow-up of 32.6 months, in 164 first-line patients, overall response rate was 57.3% (95% CI: 49.4, 65.0) and median duration of response was 46.4 months (13.8, not estimable). A manageable safety profile further supports its use in clinical practice. Additional presentations for TEPMETKO include analyses from the INSIGHT 2 study in EGFRm METamp NSCLC for patients treated with TEPMETKO plus osimertinib.

• ERBITUX (Abstracts: 3507, 3544, 3603) data to be presented at the congress add to the growing body of evidence supporting the role of cetuximab-based therapies across the continuum of care in the treatment of RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer and as a backbone of treatment in SCCHN.

Additional company-sponsored activity at ASCO:

• CME Live Symposium & Webcast, “After More Than a Decade: Can We Now Enhance Treatment of Patients With LA SCCHN?” with course director Kevin Harrington, PhD, FRCR, FRCP, The Institute of Cancer Research, The Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK, on June 3, 7:00-8:00 PM CDT, Hilton Chicago (720 South Michigan Ave.), room Continental A.
• A UC Biosphere™ Connect event, “First-Line Maintenance Therapy: Supporting Patient Care in aUC” on June 4, 6:30-8:00 PM CDT, Marriott Marquis Chicago (connected to McCormick Place, 2121 S. Prairie Ave.), Great Lakes Ballroom C, Level 2)

In addition to the data being presented at ASCO 2023, Merck will launch a new educational initiative for oncology professionals on the unmet medical need in LA SCCHN, cancer’s resistance to apoptosis, and the role of apoptosis proteins. More information on the initiative can be found at www.TheWallinSCCHN.com.

Select Merck-related abstracts accepted for presentation at ASCO 2023 include (all times in CDT):

Advancing the Future of Cancer Care

At Merck, we strive every day to improve the futures of people living with cancer. Our research explores the full potential of promising mechanisms in cancer research, focused on synergistic approaches designed to hit cancer at its core. We are determined to maximize the impact of our standard-of-care treatments and to continue pioneering novel medicines. Our vision is to create a world where more cancer patients will become cancer survivors.