Merck has initiated a clinical trial to evaluate the combination of its investigational anti-PD-1 immunotherapy, MK-3475, and GlaxoSmithKline’s orally administered kinase inhibitor, pazopanib, in advanced renal cell carcinoma. The Phase I/II trial will evaluate the safety and efficacy of MK-3475 and pazopanib in treatment naïve patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma.  
 
The companies have also entered a collaboration to study MK-3475 with pazopanib and other agents in GSK’s portfolio in the future. Additional terms were not disclosed.
 
“Collaborations like this are central to Merck’s strategy to evaluate the potential of MK-3475 for the treatment of cancer,” said Iain Dukes, senior vice president, Licensing and External Scientific Affairs, Merck Research Laboratories. “We look forward to initiating further collaborations to investigate MK-3475 in combination with other anti-cancer agents across a range of tumor types.”