Merck Archives

ovarian cancer astrazeneca merck lynparza dna repair

News and Trends 19 Jun 2019

EU Gives Lynparza Green Light as First-Line Ovarian Cancer Treatment

The DNA damage repair drug olaparib (Lynparza), developed by AstraZeneca and Merck, has been approved by the EU as a first-line treatment preventing the return of ovarian cancer after initial chemotherapy. The drug has already been approved by the EU and the FDA as a maintenance treatment for relapsed ovarian cancer, and as a therapy […]

June 19, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

Interview 24 Jul 2018

Meet the Dutch Scientists who Invented Keytruda, “The President’s Drug”

Known for curing US President Jimmy Carter’s cancer, Keytruda continues to benefit many other cancer patients. The inventors told us their story, from the drug’s early days to their current role as executives of the biotech unicorn Aduro. Since 2014, the cancer drug Keytruda, also known as pembrolizumab, continues to be widely sought after due […]

July 24, 2018 - 6 minutesmins - By Editorial Team

In Depth 9 Apr 2018

Are PD-1 and PD-L1 Checkpoint Inhibitors As Good As We Thought?

Checkpoint inhibitors, especially those targeting PD-1 and PD-L1, are exploding in popularity. But how much of it is hype? The pipelines of biotech and pharma are filling up with combination therapies for anti-PD-1 and PD-L1 antibodies. According to the Cancer Research Institute, there are now over 1,500 clinical trials testing the popular checkpoint inhibitors, a dramatical increase […]

April 9, 2018 - 4 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández

News and Trends 21 Feb 2018

FDA Approves AstraZeneca’s Lung Cancer Treatment after Rejecting Merck and Pfizer’s

The FDA approval will give AstraZeneca a competitive advantage in the lung cancer treatment market over Merck KGaA & Pfizer, who received rejections for a similar treatment. AstraZeneca received FDA approval for Imfinzi in non-small cell lung cancer one day after Merck KgA and Pfizer received a rejection for competitor drug Bavencio in the same indication. Imfinzi (durvalumab) […]

February 21, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Alexander Burik

News and Trends 15 Jan 2018

The FDA Gives AstraZeneca’s Breast Cancer Drug the Go-Ahead

The UK big pharma company’s Lynparza will be for women with advanced breast cancer that is specifically caused by mutations in the BRCA gene. Global pharma giant AstraZeneca focuses on the development of drugs for cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. The company, which is working on a number of small molecules and biologics for a […]

January 15, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Alex Dale

News and Trends 29 Nov 2017

Merck and Pfizer’s Checkpoint Inhibitor Fails to Treat Gastric Cancer

Avelumab, marketed as Bavencio by Pfizer and Merck, has failed to show better efficacy than chemotherapy in a Phase III trial with gastric cancer patients. Merck (the German one) and Pfizer joined the checkpoint inhibitor club earlier this year with the approval of Bavencio (avelumab) in both the US and Europe. Looking to keep expanding the […]

November 29, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández

News and Trends 21 Sep 2017

European Commission Approves Merck’s PD-L1 Inhibitor for Aggressive Skin Cancer

Merck and Pfizer’s new immunotherapy, avelumab, has been approved by the European Commission to treat metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma, an aggressive form of skin cancer. The approval is based on data from a Phase II study, JAVELIN Merkel 200, where subjects responded well to treatment for a sustained period of time. Earlier this year, Avelumab was […]

September 21, 2017 - 3 minutesmins - By Alex Dale

News and Trends 3 Aug 2017

Designer Babies in Europe: German Merck Set to Receive CRISPR Patent

Merck KGaA has received a Notice of Intention to Grant from the European Patent Office that its CRISPR patent will cover genomic integration. Everyone in biotech is gunning for a piece of the CRISPR pie, and German Merck will likely become the next company to acquire IP, adding to the pile it began building in 2012. […]

August 3, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Evelyn Warner

News and Trends 23 May 2017

Merck to Pay Ablynx €15M for Getting a Second Nanobody ready for the Clinic

Ablynx is receiving its first milestone payment from a deal with Merck for the development of first-in-class treatments for osteoarthritis. Belgium-based Ablynx develops nanobodies, molecules with the same properties as antibodies but with the advantage of being much smaller. This technology has attracted top pharma partners like AbbVie, MSD, Boehringer Ingelheim and Novartis. Now, the third […]

May 23, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández

News and Trends 3 May 2017

Unexpected Side Effects: Are we Ready for the Rise of Immunotherapies?

As immunotherapies are moving from large academic centers to clinics across the world, doctors are realizing that releasing the breaks of the immune system comes with serious risks – and that research on its adverse effects is lagging behind. This week, AstraZeneca’s anti-PD-L1 antibody durvalumab received FDA approval to treat patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma, making […]

May 3, 2017 - 4 minutesmins - By Melanie De Almeida

News and Trends 30 Mar 2017

Merck Outsources the Development of its Nanobody for Psoriasis

Merck has signed a new agreement with Avillion for its nanobody against psoriasis. Avillion will advance the nanobody from Phase II through Phase III. As part of several partnerships between Merck and the unbeaten nanobody biotech Ablynx, Merck recently cleared Phase Ib with its llama-inspired nanobody targeting the cytokines IL-17 A/F for the treatment of plaque psoriasis. The antibody […]

March 30, 2017 - 3 minutesmins - By Melanie De Almeida

News and Trends 27 Mar 2017

You Can Now Search Worldwide Genomic Data in a Single Platform

Access to data is still the main bottleneck for genomic researchers. Repositive has created a free online platform to solve this problem once and for all. Repositive is building an online platform that makes genomic data from different sources easily searchable and accessible from a single portal. Its mission is to speed up genetic diagnostics […]

March 27, 2017 - 5 minutesmins - By External Contributor

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