Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38433375›Full record

ArticleThe Journal of dermatology2024

Safety and effectiveness of avelumab in patients with Merkel cell carcinoma in general clinical practice in Japan: Post-marketing surveillance.

Hisashi Uhara, Yoshio Kiyohara, Taiki Isei, Kotaro Nagase, Anzu Kambe, Masashi Sato, Yutaro Tanaka, Naoya Yamazaki

Open access · hybridAbstract readMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in The Journal of dermatology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
1.7field-weighted citation impact, top 14% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 6 institutions in 2 countries.

Hisashi UharaSapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5391-3397
Yoshio KiyoharaShizuoka Cancer Center Hospital and Research Institute, Shizuoka, Japan.
Taiki IseiOsaka International Cancer Institution, Osaka, Japan.
Kotaro NagaseDepartment of Dermatology, Saga-Ken Medical Centre Koseikan, Saga, Japan.
Anzu KambeMerck Biopharma Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, an affiliate of Merck KGaA.
Masashi SatoMerck Biopharma Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, an affiliate of Merck KGaA.
Yutaro TanakaMerck Biopharma Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, an affiliate of Merck KGaA.
Naoya YamazakiNational Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9638-0428
Merck (Germany) · DEOsaka International Cancer Institute · JPSaga-Ken Medical Centre Koseikan · JPSapporo Medical University · JPShizuoka Cancer Center · JPTokyo National Hospital · JP

Funding

Merck (CrossRef Funder ID: 10.13039/100009945)
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Avelumab, a programmed cell death ligand 1 blocking antibody, was approved for its first indication in Japan in September 2017 to treat unresectable Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). Given that the pivotal JAVELIN Merkel 200 study only included a few Japanese patients, this post-marketing surveillance (PMS) evaluated the safety and effectiveness outcomes of patients with MCC who received avelumab in general clinical practice in Japan. This prospective, non-comparative, multicenter PMS included data from all patients with unresectable MCC who received avelumab between November 22, 2017 (avelumab launch date) and October 31, 2019. The primary objective was to evaluate avelumab safety (i.e., adverse events [AEs], adverse drug reactions [ADRs], and ADRs of safety specifications). The secondary objective was to evaluate avelumab effectiveness (i.e., objective response rate and overall survival [OS] rate). Seventy-five evaluable patients were included, of whom 81.3% experienced AEs of any grade (57.3% experienced AEs of grade ≥ 3; 41.3% experienced AEs of grade 5) and 61.3% experienced ADRs (14.7% experienced ADRs of grade ≥ 3; no grade 5 ADRs were observed). The most common ADRs were pyrexia (18.7%), infusion related reaction (10.7%), and chills (6.7%). The most common ADRs of safety specifications were infusion reactions (any grade: n = 21 [28.0%]; grade 3 or 4: n = 3 [4.0%]), thyroid dysfunction (n = 7 [9.3%]), and hepatic function disorders (n = 4 [5.3%]). The median observation period was 51 weeks. An objective response was achieved by 34/75 patients (45.3%; complete response, 24.0%; partial response, 21.3%) and 6- and 12-month OS rates were 77.7% and 59.6%, respectively. This PMS confirmed the clinical tolerability and effectiveness of avelumab in patients with MCC, with no new safety concerns. The risk-benefit profile of avelumab was comparable with that observed in clinical trials and remains favorable for use in general clinical practice in Japan.

Indexed as

Antibodies, Monoclonal, HumanizedCarcinoma, Merkel CellSkin NeoplasmsAntibodies, MonoclonalHumansJapanProduct Surveillance, PostmarketingProspective StudiesAntibodies, MonoclonalAntibodies, Monoclonal, HumanizedavelumabavelumabMerkel cell carcinomapost‐marketingsafetytreatment effectiveness

Identifiers

PMID38433375
PMCPMC11484154
OpenAlexW4392372443

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.