Vyriad has announced a collaboration agreement with Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, and Pfizer to expand its ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial program in solid tumors to include a combination study of its lead asset, Voyager-V1, with avelumab, a human anti-PD-L1 antibody.

"We are delighted to be working with Merck KGaA, Darmstadt Germany, and Pfizer on this innovative combination treatment approach," said Stephen Russell, M.D., Ph.D., CEO of Vyriad. "Voyager-V1 is being administered to inflame the tumors, and avelumab has been shown to release the suppression of the T cell-mediated antitumor immune response in preclinical models."

"We are encouraged by the potential of Voyager-V1, which has demonstrated early clinical activity in patients with solid tumors," said Alise Reicin, Head of Global Clinical Development at the Biopharma business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, which operates in the U.S. and Canada as EMD Serono. "We look forward to investigating how combining Voyager-V1 with avelumab may advance patient care."

Avelumab has received accelerated approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of patients with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) and previously treated patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC), and is under further clinical evaluation across a range of tumor types under a global strategic alliance between Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, and Pfizer.

Avelumab is under clinical investigation for treatment of various solid tumors and has not been demonstrated to be safe and effective for this indication. There is no guarantee that avelumab will be approved for specific solid tumors by any health authority worldwide.

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