Merck registers new MK-8644 psoriasis trial; RA and HIV/HPV vaccine trials continue

This week brings a new Merck-sponsored first-in-human trial alongside updates on previously registered studies.

• MK-8644-001 is a new Phase 1 trial sponsored by Merck Sharp & Dohme, testing a trial medicine called MK-8644 in its first administration to people.¹ The study is evaluating the safety of MK-8644 and whether participants tolerate it,¹ enrolling an estimated 132 participants in both healthy volunteers and patients with mild to moderate plaque psoriasis.¹ The trial is listed as recruiting at a single site in Melbourne, Australia.
• MK-8690-004, the Phase 2a rheumatoid arthritis trial of MK-8690 (also known as PRA052) added to methotrexate, remains not yet recruiting. The study still plans to enroll 60 participants and track the percentage of participants achieving American College of Rheumatology 50% response criteria (ACR50) at Week 12.²
• NCT04982614, a Columbia University-led trial of the nonavalent HPV vaccine Gardasil 9 in Eswatini with Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC as a collaborator, posted results. The study, which was a multi-site, open-label non-inferiority study assessing immunogenicity of a two-dose 9vHPV regimen among people living with HIV versus a three-dose regimen among HIV-uninfected young women,³ is now listed as completed, with 1403 participants enrolled and primary completion on 2024-12-09.
• NCT04643379, a Washington University School of Medicine-sponsored Phase 2 trial combining olaparib, pembrolizumab and carboplatin for head and neck cancer with Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC as a collaborator, also posted results. The trial, designed to test first line treatment with olaparib, pembrolizumab, and carboplatin against a historical overall response rate seen with pembrolizumab, platinum and 5-FU,⁴ enrolled 30 participants and is now listed as active, not recruiting, with primary completion reported on 2025-10-16.