Merck & Co Inc (MRK) reported strong third-quarter earnings, exceeding analysts’ expectations. While Keytruda, Merck’s blockbuster cancer immunotherapy, continued its impressive growth, Gardasil sales declined due to weaker demand in China. Despite the Gardasil challenges, analysts remain optimistic about Merck’s future, citing the strong performance of other key franchises and the potential of new products.
Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) exceeded revenue expectations in the third quarter, driven by growth in oncology and cardiovascular segments. However, the company faced a decline in Gardasil sales due to lower demand in China. Merck also revised its full-year 2024 forecasts, citing a negative impact from business development transactions.
Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) and Moderna, Inc. (MRNA) have initiated a pivotal Phase 3 trial for their investigational neoantigen therapy, V940 (mRNA-4157), in combination with Keytruda (pembrolizumab) for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. This trial, known as INTerpath-009, focuses on patients who did not achieve a complete response after receiving neoadjuvant Keytruda plus chemotherapy. The first patients have started enrolling in Canada, and global recruitment is ongoing. This development follows a series of other trials evaluating V940 in combination with Keytruda for different types of cancers.
The FDA has approved Merck’s Keytruda in combination with chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). This approval marks the first indication for Keytruda in MPM in the U.S. and is based on clinical trial data showing significant improvements in overall survival and progression-free survival compared to chemotherapy alone.
NuCana plc presented promising data from its Phase 2 NuTide:701 study, showcasing the potential of NUC-7738 in combination with Merck’s Keytruda for treating metastatic melanoma. The combination showed encouraging efficacy signals and a favorable safety profile in patients who had previously failed PD-1 inhibitor therapies.
Summit Therapeutics’ ivonescimab demonstrated a significant improvement in progression-free survival compared to Keytruda in a Phase 3 trial for non-small cell lung cancer. The drug also showed positive results in a Phase 2 trial for resectable lung cancer, highlighting its potential as a promising treatment option.
Merck & Co Inc has discontinued two Phase 3 trials evaluating Keytruda (pembrolizumab) for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. The decision was based on recommendations from independent Data Monitoring Committees, which found that Keytruda did not demonstrate a statistically significant improvement in survival or recurrence-free survival compared to placebo.
