Although immunotherapies have been employed for many decades, immune checkpoint 
inhibitors have only recently entered the oncologic landscape. Avelumab is a 
fully human monoclonal antibody that blocks the interaction between PD-L1 on 
tumor cells and PD-1 on T cells, thereby inhibiting immunosuppression in the 
tumor microenvironment and reducing tumor growth. Most early clinical trials of 
avelumab as monotherapy and in combination regimens were part of the 
international JAVELIN clinical trial program, which included more than 7000 
patients in more than 30 trials with at least 15 tumor types. Avelumab has been 
approved by the U.S. FDA for the treatment of metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma 
and metastatic urothelial carcinoma that has progressed during or following 
treatment with a platinum-based regimen. Its acceptable safety profile and 
ability to induce durable responses in otherwise deadly tumors provide the 
rationale for its use in other tumor types and in combination with other 
therapies.