Merck ditches oncolytic virus Cavatak Merck is bidding adieu to the oncolytic virus, Cavatak, acquired from its 2018 purchase of Viralytics, with the pipeline change disclosed weeks after the Big Pharma hitched its wagon onto Moderna’s cancer vaccine program.
The phase 2 cancer treatment was acquired when Merck bought Australia-based Viralytics for $394 million in 2018.
There were at least 14 trials testing Cavatak, many of which had already been completed. Three active trials that were no longer recruiting were testing Cavatak in combination with Keytruda and one trial still recruiting was looking at Keytruda in combination with a number of investigational treatments