A new intravenous drug designed to treat a specific type of skin cancer has been approved for use in the United States, according to a March 23 announcement from its makers, Merck KGaA and Pfizer Inc.
Bavencio was designed to treat Merkel cell carcinoma, an unusual and aggressive form of skin cancer, according to Merkelcell.org, a consortium of physicians treating the condition.
The new medicine, developed by a collaboration of the two pharmaceutical giants, contains avelumab, a substance that fights the disease by enhancing a patient’s immune response.
Massachusetts-based EMD Serono, Merck’s U.S. and Canadian biopharmaceutical subsidiary, will market the drug, the release said.
