News & Publications

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an aggressive skin cancer that is caused by the Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) in virus-positive MCC (VP-MCC) or by exposure to UV light in virus-negative MCC (VN-MCC). Studies have shown that the incidence of MCC is around ten times higher in immunosuppressed popula...

Upfront immunotherapy with pembrolizumab (Keytruda, Merck & Co) in patients with advanced Merkel cell carcinoma (aMCC) shows an improved overall survival and response rate when compared with historical controls, and has a generally manageable safety profile, according to new findings. The results ar...

On March 4th, 2019, Dr. Paul Nghiem presented at the annual American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) conference in Washington, DC on the need to prioritize treatment modalities that are less toxic and more effective for Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC). On noting that MCC cases have increased by 95% from 20...

The International Symposium on Merkel cell carcinoma is scheduled for October 21-22, 2019 at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida. Course Directors: Kenneth Y. Tsai MD, PhD and Vernon K. Sondak, MD Course Description: The International Symposium on Merkel cell carcinoma is a first-of-it...

Abstract Purpose: G100 is a toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) agonist that triggers innate and adaptive anti-tumor immune responses in preclinical models. This pilot study assessed the safety, efficacy, and immunologic activity of intratumoral (IT) administration of G100 in patients with Merkel cel...

Background: Response rates are primary endpoints in many oncology trials; however, correlation with overall survival (OS) is not uniform across cancer types, treatments, or lines of therapy. This study explored the association between objective response (OR) and OS in patients with chemotherapy-refr...

Because of the well-established therapeutic benefit of boosting antitumor responses through blockade of the T cell inhibitory receptor PD-1, it has been proposed that PD-1 blockade could also be useful in infectious disease settings, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection. However, in ...

Objectives: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, aggressive neuroendocrine skin cancer with higher incidence among whites, elderly, and immunosuppressed patients. Although immunosuppressed MCC patients are at higher risk of recurrence and MCC-related death, it is unknown whether immunosuppression ...

American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting San Diego, CA Prepared by Drs. Song Park, Paul Nghiem, and Hannah Thomas Announcements: 1) If you are interested in presenting at next year’s MMIG meeting in Washington, D.C., on Friday March 1st, 2019 (5 – 7 pm), please send Paul an email ...

On December 19, 2018, Merck (NYSE:MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved KEYTRUDA, Merck’s anti-PD-1 therapy, for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with recurrent locally advanced or metastatic Me...