Merck & Co shares jump as Keytruda grabs more ASCO headlines

Merck & Co’s (NYSE: MRK) industry-leading immuno-oncology drug Keytruda (pembrolizumab) is no stranger to making the headlines at ASCO, and this year’s meeting is no exception.

Among the data that the US pharma giant has presented on its anti-PD-1 therapy at the event this time around is five-year efficacy and safety data of the drug’s use as a monotherapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) from the first KEYNOTE trial.

In the Phase Ib study, Keytruda demonstrated a five-year overall survival (OS) rate of 23.2% in treatment-naïve patients and 15.5% in previously treated patients.