ESMO18: Merck’s STING agonist lacks bite on its own

Amid high expectations, the first clinical data with Merck & Co’s STING agonist at ESMO has proved a disappointment—at least as a monotherapy.

The preliminary results from the phase 1 trial showed that MK-1454 was unable to achieve any partial or complete responses when used on its own in patients with advanced solid tumors or lymphomas, but partial responses were seen when it was given alongside Merck’s PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor Keytruda (pembrolizumab).