Alkermes, Merck Enter Clinical Trial and Supply Agreement

Alkermes has entered into a clinical trial collaboration and supply agreement with MSD, a tradename of Merck, for a planned phase 3 study to evaluate nemvaleukin alfa, Alkermes' novel investigational engineered interleukin-2 (IL-2) variant immunotherapy, in combination with MSD's Keytruda (pembrolizumab), in comparison to investigator choice chemotherapy in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.

Alkermes is responsible for conducting the phase 3 study, which is planned to initiate in the second half of 2021.

"We are pleased to collaborate with MSD to evaluate nemvaleukin in combination with Keytruda in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, a patient population for which there are limited treatment options available and overall survival remains low. Importantly, there are no anti-PD-1 treatments currently approved for this tumor type," said Jessicca Rege, vice president, head of oncology, Alkermes.

Nemvaleukin in combination with Keytruda has demonstrated antitumor activity in heavily pre-treated patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer in the ongoing ARTISTRY-1 study.