Avelumab in the treatment of patients with Merkel cell carcinoma: initial results of early access program in Russia

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare and aggressive skin cancer with limited treatment options in later stages, when the mortality rate due to the disease is as high as 46 %. It has been demonstrated earlier that MCC is an immunogenic tumor, therefore the emergence of immune checkpoint inhibitors has changed the treatment principles for patients with advanced MCC. In this article, we present the initial results of the use of avelumab, an anti-PD-L1 antibody, in the treatment of patients with metastatic and / or locally advanced MCC as part of the early access program in Russia