Avelumab in patients with chemotherapy‑refractory metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma: a multicentre, single‑group, open‑label, phase 2 trial
Avelumab achieves durable objective responses and is well tolerated in patients with chemotherapy‑refractory metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma.
Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare, aggressive skin cancer with poor prognosis in advanced disease. In this multicentre, international, single‑group, open‑label, phase 2 trial, 88 patients with stage IV chemotherapy‑refractory Merkel cell carcinoma received avelumab 10 mg/kg IV every 2 weeks. The primary endpoint was confirmed objective response per RECIST 1.1. An objective response was achieved in 28 of 88 patients (31 %), including 8 complete and 20 partial responses, most of which were durable (median duration not reached after a median follow‑up of 10.7 months). Treatment was well tolerated with few grade 3 adverse events and no grade 4 events or deaths.
The study demonstrates that PD‑L1 blockade with avelumab can produce durable, clinically meaningful responses in a disease for which chemotherapy offers only short‑lived benefits, thereby providing a new therapeutic option for patients with advanced Merkel cell carcinoma.
Bizonyítékszint: Sejtvonalas. Laboratóriumi sejtekben vizsgálták.
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