The strategic alliance between Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, and Pfizer is exploring the therapeutic potential of avelumab, a human anti-PD-L1 antibody. The alliance focuses on developing high-priority clinical programs investigating avelumab, as a monotherapy, as well as in combination regimens, and is striving to find new ways to treat cancer. In the US and Canada, the biopharmaceutical business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, operates as EMD Serono.