BerGenBio in deal with Merck to test lung and breast cancer combo

Norwegian clinical-stage biotech firm BerGenBio has entered into a collaborative agreement with Merck & Co (NYSE: MRK) focused on the clinical evaluation of BGB324 with Keytruda (pembrolizumab) in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

BerGenBio’s lead candidate BGB324 is a first in class, highly selective, potent and orally available small molecule Axl kinase inhibitor in clinical development in a variety of cancer indications. The Axl tyrosine kinase is a key driver of cancer spread, immune evasion and drug resistance – the cause of the majority of cancer-related deaths. Increased understanding of the role of Axl in suppressing innate immunity supports the rationale for evaluating BGB324 in combination with Keutruda.

Under the terms of the collaboration with Merck, BerGenBio will conduct two international Phase II studies to evaluate the potential clinical synergy of combining BGB324 with Merck’s anti-PD-1 therapy, Keytruda. Details of the studies are as follows: