Winald Gerritsen, MD, PhD

“This is a really great study with excellent translational research,” said formal discussant Winald Gerritsen, MD, PhD, Professor of Immunotherapy at Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. “I consider it practice-changing for Merkel cell carcinoma. The company is going for expedited review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and it can be used off-label in some countries.” Other companies are doing studies in Merkel cell carcinoma with similar compounds, continued Dr. Gerritsen.

“Merkel cell carcinoma is a very aggressive disease. We were surprised when responses to pembrolizumab were seen within 2 to 3 months,” he added. ■

Disclosure: Dr. Gerritsen reported no potential conflicts of interest.