“We are fortunate to have the opportunity to collaborate with Merck for this Phase 1/2 trial. The collaboration of the combination arm of our TT-816 clinical trial represents an important advancement in our comprehensive development program and further supports our mission to invent new hope for patients by potentially providing meaningful treatments to those with few remaining alternatives,” said Serge Messerlian, Chief Executive Officer of Teon Therapeutics.  “In addition to its great potential as a monotherapy, by blocking both the PD-1 and CB2 pathways, we believe that TT-816 in combination with KEYTRUDA may have an additive benefit in ‘hot’ tumors and synergistic effect in ‘cold’ tumors that may result in improved outcomes for more patients. Results of our preclinical studies indicate that TT-816 has unique mechanisms of action that enhance both T cell and NK cell antitumor immunity, prevent broad-based T cell exhaustion, synergize antitumor effects with current immune checkpoint inhibitor therapies, and directly promote T cell infiltration into solid tumors.”