Dynavax Initiates Trial Evaluating SD-101 In Combination With Merck's KEYTRUDA

(RTTNews) - Dynavax Technologies Corp. (DVAX) announced it has initiated patient dosing in the trial evaluating the combination of two immunotherapies: Dynavax's SD-101 and Merck's (MRK) KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab). The multicenter, open-label trial is enrolling patients with advanced or metastatic melanoma and will investigate the safety and potential efficacy of Dynavax's investigational toll-like receptor 9 agonist, SD-101, in combination with Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, KEYTRUDA.

The Phase 1b dose-escalation portion of the study is enrolling up to 12 patients with advanced or metastatic melanoma. Dynavax expects to complete the Phase 1b dose escalation and expand into the Phase 2 portion of the clinical trial with the selected dose of SD-101 by mid-year 2016.