Merck, Pfizer and Syndax combine to test avelumab/entinostat combo

Germany’s Merck KGaA (MRK: DE), US pharma giant Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) and privately-held Syndax Pharmaceuticals have entered into a collaboration agreement to evaluate a potential combination therapy for ovarian cancer.

The partners will test avelumab, an investigational fully human anti-PD-L1 IgG1 monoclonal antibody, in combination with Syndax' entinostat, an investigational oral small molecule that targets immune regulatory cells (myeloid-derived suppressor cells and regulatory T-cells), in patients with heavily pre-treated, recurrent ovarian cancer. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Avelumab is currently under clinical investigation across a broad range of tumor types by the alliance between Merck and Pfizer. This is an exclusive agreement between the alliance and Syndax to study the combination of these two investigational agents in ovarian cancer. Syndax will be responsible for conducting the Phase Ib/II clinical trial in ovarian cancer.

Pfizer bought into the Merck KGaA-invented avelumab, formerly MSB0010718C, in a nearly $3 billion deal in 2014, which included $850 million upfront to Merck (The Pharma Letter November 17, 2014).