FDA Grants Breakthrough Therapy Designation for Avelumab in Combination with INLYTA® in Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma

Merck and Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation for avelumab in combination with INLYTA® (axitinib)* for treatment-naïve patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Breakthrough Therapy Designation is designed to accelerate the development and review of potential medicines for serious conditions, and preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the therapy may demonstrate a substantial improvement over currently available therapies on one or more clinically significant endpoints. This is the second Breakthrough Therapy Designation granted to avelumab.