Bavencio proves successful in urothelial carcinoma trial

There was good news for Germany’s Merck KGaA (MRK: DE) and US partner Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) today as they announced the Phase III JAVELIN Bladder 100 study with their PD-L1 antibody Bavencio (avelumab) met its primary endpoint of overall survival (OS) at the planned interim analysis.

The news comes soon after a major disappoint for the companies, which in November last year revealed that already-approved Bavencio had failed in the Phase III JAVELIN Gastric 100 study, testing Bavencio as first-line maintenance therapy following induction chemotherapy in patients with unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic HER2-negative gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancer versus continuation of chemotherapy or best supportive care. Merck & Co (NYSE: MRK) has also suffered a setback for its star immuno-oncology therapy Keytruda (pembrolizumab) in gastric cancer.

In this new study, patients with previously untreated locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC) whose disease did not progress on induction chemotherapy and who were randomized to receive first-line maintenance therapy with Bavencio and best supportive care (BSC) lived significantly longer than those who received BSC only.