A trial of MK-8242 for advanced solid tumours

This trial is looking at a drug called MK-8242 for people who have a solid tumour for which there is no other treatment available. A solid tumour is any type of cancer other than leukaemia or lymphoma.

Some genes help to stop cancer cells growing. They are called tumour suppressor genes. P53 is an important tumour suppressor gene.

A protein called HDM2 stops p53 working. The drug being looked at in this trial blocks HDM2. This allows p53 to work and stops the growth of cancer cells. The drug is called MK-8242.

In some cancers, the p53 gene is abnormal. But in order for MK-8242 to work, it is important that the p53 gene in the cancer cells is normal. The first few people joining this trial will not have their cancer’s p53 gene tested. But people joining the trial later can only take part if tests show that their tumour has a normal p53 gene. Researchers can check this by looking at a sample of the tumour.