Genexine Inc., of Seongnam, South Korea, said the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in Korea granted approval to initiate a phase Ib/II trial of GX-188E, an HPV therapeutic DNA vaccine, in combination with Keytruda (pembrolizumab, Merck & Co. Inc.) for the treatment of patients with HPV-induced advanced non-resectable cervical cancer. As part of its agreement with Merck, Genexine will run and fund the study, which will enroll up to 46 patients, with Merck providing the Keytruda used in the trial. The agreement includes the potential for further expansion to a phase III study.