-
Seagen’s Adcetris Combo with Keytruda Shows Promising Results in Phase II Study
•
Seagen (NASDAQ: SGEN), currently in the process of being acquired by Pfizer (NYSE: PFE), has released the results of a Phase II study combining its antibody drug conjugate (ADC) Adcetris (brentuximab vedotin) with Merck, Sharp & Dohme’s (MSD; NYSE: MRK) anti-PD-1 therapy Keytruda (pembrolizumab). The study focused on patients with…
-
Merck Reports 9% Global Sales Growth in Q3 2023, Boosted by Keytruda and Gardasil
•
US-based pharmaceutical giant Merck, Sharp & Dohme (MSD, NYSE: MRK) has reported a robust 9% year-on-year (YOY) increase in global sales for Q3 2023, reaching USD 15.9 billion. This strong performance has led the firm to raise its full-year sales forecast to a range of USD 59.7 billion to USD…
-
MSD Halts Phase II Trials for Glutamate Modulator MK-1942 in Alzheimer’s and Depression
•
Merck, Sharp & Dohme (MSD; NYSE: MRK) has announced the discontinuation of two Phase II trials evaluating the efficacy of its glutamate modulator MK-1942 in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and treatment-resistant major depressive disorder (MDD). The decision comes after an unblinded data analysis indicated potential safety concerns. Trial…
-
MSD Collaborates with Daiichi Sankyo on Development of Innovative ADC Candidates
•
Merck, Sharp & Dohme (MSD; NYSE: MRK) has announced a strategic collaboration agreement with Japan-based Daiichi Sankyo (TYO: 4568) focused on the development and commercialization of three potential first-in-class deruxtecan-based antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) candidates. This partnership aims to advance innovative treatments for various types of cancer. ADC Candidates and Development…
-
MSD Partners with Phanes Therapeutics for Innovative Cancer Combo Therapy
•
Global pharmaceutical leader Merck, Sharp & Dohme (MSD; NYSE: MRK) has announced a strategic partnership with US-based biotechnology firm Phanes Therapeutics to develop a novel combination therapy. The collaboration will see MSD’s anti-PD-1 blockbuster Keytruda (pembrolizumab) paired with Phanes’s first-in-class CD47×claudin 18.2 drug PT886, targeting claudin 18.2-positive gastric or gastroesophageal…
-
MSD’s Keytruda Achieves Primary Endpoint in Late-Stage NSCLC Trial
•
Merck, Sharp & Dohme (MSD; NYSE: MRK) has announced that a late-stage trial for its anti-PD-1 drug Keytruda (pembrolizumab) has successfully met the primary endpoint of statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in overall survival (OS) in patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The trial evaluated Keytruda as…
-
MSD’s Keytruda Meets Endpoints in Urothelial Carcinoma Trial but Misses in NSCLC Study
•
Merck, Sharp & Dohme (MSD; NYSE: MRK), a leading global pharmaceutical company, last week released clinical data from separate late-stage studies for its anti-PD-1 biologic, Keytruda (pembrolizumab), in combination with other oncology therapies from different partners. The results presented a mixed picture of success and challenges in the field of…
-
FDA Grants Priority Review to MSD’s Welireg for Advanced RCC Indication Extension
•
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted priority review status to an indication extension application filed by Merck, Sharp & Dohme (MSD; NYSE: MRK) for its oral HIF-2α inhibitor Welireg (belzutifan). The application seeks approval for the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in adults who have…
-
EMA’s CHMP Recommends Approval of Keytruda as Adjuvant NSCLC Treatment
•
The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended the approval of Merck, Sharp & Dohme’s (MSD; NYSE: MRK) anti-PD-1 therapy, Keytruda (pembrolizumab), as an adjuvant treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in adults who are at a high risk of…
-
MSD’s Sotatercept Demonstrates Positive Interim Results in Phase III PAH Studies
•
Merck, Sharp & Dohme (MSD; NYSE: MRK) has presented interim data from Phase III and extension studies for its potential first-in-class biologic sotatercept, which is being investigated for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The late-stage trial indicated that the activin signaling inhibitor led to a reduction in right…
-
Gilead’s Trodelvy Combo with MSD’s Keytruda Shows Promise in NSCLC Phase II Trial
•
Gilead (NASDAQ: GILD) has announced interim data from a Phase II trial assessing the antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) Trodelvy (sacituzumab govitecan) in combination with Merck, Sharp & Dohme’s (MSD; NYSE: MRK) anti-PD-1 Keytruda (pembrolizumab) for first-line advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) without actionable genomic alterations. The interim results…
-
European Commission Approves Pediatric Indication for MSD’s Ervebo Ebola Vaccine
•
The European Commission (EC) has granted Merck, Sharp & Dohme (MSD; NYSE: MRK) approval for a pediatric indication for its vaccine Ervebo, expanding its use as an active immunization for individuals aged 1 year or older against Ebola virus disease (EVD) caused by Zaire ebolavirus. This life-threatening condition has been…
-
Merck’s Keytruda Approved in China for MSI-H/dMMR Advanced Solid Tumors: A Biomarker-Driven Milestone
•
US pharmaceutical major Merck, Sharp & Dohme (MSD; NYSE: MRK) has announced that its programmed drug Keytruda (pembrolizumab) has been approved in China for the treatment of unresectable or metastatic microsatellite highly unstable (MSI-H) or mismatch repair gene deficient (dMMR) advanced solid tumors. This includes colorectal cancer patients who have…
-
MSD Plans to Introduce Over 50 New Drugs and Vaccines to China in the Next Five Years
•
Merck, Sharp & Dohme Inc., (MSD, NYSE: MRK), through its China R&D president Li Zhengqing, has shared the company’s pipeline plans with local press. As reported by the China Daily, MSD is planning to introduce over 50 innovative drugs, vaccines, new indications, and companion diagnostics to the Chinese market over…
-
MSD’s Gardasil 9 HPV Vaccine Demonstrates 10-Year Efficacy in Adolescents
•
Merck, Sharp & Dohme (MSD; NYSE: MRK) has released long-term effectiveness data for its recombinant human papillomavirus (HPV) 9-valent vaccine, Gardasil 9, in minors aged between 9 and 15 years old. The results indicate that the immunogenicity generated by the vaccine persisted for 10 years after the third and final…
-
BMS’ Reblozyl Expands Indication to Include First-Line MDS-Related Anemia Treatment
•
Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS; NYSE: BMY) has received an indication extension approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its first-in-class drug Reblozyl (luspatercept). The drug is now approved as a first-line treatment for low- to intermediate-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS)-related anemia in adults who may require regular red blood…
-
HHS Releases List of 10 Drugs for Medicare Price Negotiations Starting 2026
•
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in the US has released a list of the first 10 medicines that will be subject to a novel mechanism for negotiating drug prices under the Medicare health insurance program starting from the 2026 period onwards. The institution plans to publish the…
-
AstraZeneca Challenges US Government’s Drug Price Negotiation Plan for Medicare
•
UK-based pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca (AZ, NASDAQ: AZN) has filed a legal claim against the US government’s plan to negotiate the price of selected drugs for the 2026 period onwards through the elderly health insurance program, Medicare. This move makes AstraZeneca the fourth company to contest the initiative this year, following…
-
MSD Initiates Phase III Trial for PCSK9 Inhibitor MK-0616 in LDL Cholesterol Reduction
•
Merck, Sharp & Dohme (MSD; NYSE: MRK) has commenced Phase III development for its experimental proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitor, MK-0616, focusing on low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol reduction in adults with and without heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH). This marks a significant milestone as MK-0616 becomes the first oral…
-
AstraZeneca and MSD’s Lynparza Gets Green Light for Prostate Cancer Treatment in Japan
•
Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) has granted AstraZeneca (AZ; NASDAQ: AZN) and Merck, Sharp & Dohme (MSD; NYSE: MRK) a regulatory nod for the use of Lynparza (olaparib) in combination with abiraterone and prednisone or prednisolone as a treatment for BRCA-mutated (BRCAm) castration-resistant prostate cancer with distant…
