NorthWest Biotherapeutics Inc (NWBO)

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Surface Oncology to Collaborate with Merck on Immuno-Oncology Study Evaluating SRF388, Targeting IL-27, in Combination with KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) in Patients with Solid Tumors
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 09, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Surface Oncology (Nasdaq: SURF), a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company developing next-generation immunotherapies that target the tumor microenvironment, announced today it has entered into a clinical trial collaboration with Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, through a subsidiary, to evaluate the safety and efficacy of combining Surface’s SRF388, an investigational antibody therapy targeting IL-27, with Merck’s KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab), the first anti-PD-1 therapy approved in the United States. This combination will be studied as a component of the first-in-human Phase 1 study of SRF388 and will be evaluated in patients with solid tumors, with a focus on patients with liver cancer and kidney cancer.  
“Surface is the only company with clinical-stage IL-27 research and we believe that this cytokine may play an important role in resistance to anti-PD-1 treatment,” said Rob Ross, M.D., incoming chief executive officer at Surface Oncology. “This collaboration with Merck will add an important dimension to the SRF388 clinical program and allow us to more rapidly assess its potential to deliver truly breakthrough therapies that can transform treatment for people with cancer.”
In November 2020, Surface announced that SRF388 achieved predefined criteria for advancement to the expansion stage of its ongoing Phase 1 trial. Detailed initial clinical results are expected to be reported at a medical conference in the first half of 2021.
KEYTRUDA® is a registered trademark of Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA.