Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, reported that that the first patient has been dosed in a phase 1 clinical study combining MM-121, a fully human monoclonal antibody that targets ErbB3, with cetuximab (Erbitux ) and irinotecan (Camptosar ) in patients with advanced cancers.

The phase 1 study evaluates the safety and pharmacokinetics of MM-121 when administered in combination with cetuximab and irinotecan in patients with advanced colorectal cancer, squamous cell head and neck cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, triple negative breast cancer, or other types of solid tumours that depend on epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activity. Multiple centres across the United States are expected to participate in this study. The first patient was enrolled at the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

Merrimack entered into an exclusive, global collaboration and licensing agreement with Sanofi for MM- 121 in 2009.

Merrimack is a biopharmaceutical company discovering, developing and preparing to commercialize innovative medicines paired with companion diagnostics for the treatment of serious diseases, with an initial focus on cancer.