Merck, Pfizer and Syndax announce collaboration to evaluate combination of avelumab and entinostat in ovarian cancer

“Combination therapy is the next frontier in immuno-oncology and a key strategy for the alliance,” said Dr Luciano Rossetti, Head of Global R&D of the biopharma business of Merck. “Avelumab as a monotherapy has already shown promising early activity in ovarian cancer in a Phase Ib trial, and through our ongoing research and this collaboration with Syndax, we will hopefully be able to make a real difference to women fighting this complex cancer.”

“We are delighted to be working with the alliance to explore the potential benefits of entinostat in combination with avelumab for ovarian cancer patients,” said Dr Briggs W. Morrison, Syndax’s CEO. “The continued interest from leading companies in investigating the potential of entinostat in combination with checkpoint inhibitors reflects positively on the potential mechanism of action of the molecule, and also reinforces our clinical strategy to explore entinostat for the benefit of patients across a broad range of solid tumor indications.”