Dr. Lebbe Discusses Efficacy of Avelumab in Merkel Cell Carcinoma

Celeste Lebbe, MD, PhD, Hopital Saint Louis in Paris, discusses the efficacy of avelumab (Bavencio) in patients with stage IV Merkel cell carcinoma.

In a phase II study of avelumab, chemotherapy-naïve patients with distant metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma, first-line treatment resulted in early responses and a high overall response rate (ORR) in this difficult-to-treat population.

The ORR was 62%, which occurred quite rapidly, says Lebbe. The median duration of response is not yet reached, though.