Half price Keytruda now available in China

A few short months after Merck & Co (NYSE: MRK) won its first Chinese approval for flagship immuno-oncology product Keytruda (pembrolizumab), the firm has reportedly agreed a price reduction plan that will enable patients to gain access for around half the US list price.

China’s Caixin says the New Jersey-based drugmaker will charge 17,918 renminbi ($2,613), the lowest price available in any market. The move is thought to be in response to a similar price-slashing measure in the country from Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY).

Keytruda, which becomes available in China as of today, was approved by China's National Drug Administration for adults with unresectable or metastatic melanoma in the second-line setting, becoming the first checkpoint inhibitor to be approved in this indication in the country.