More misery for Merck & Co as Keytruda combo suffers setback

30 October 2017

US pharma giant Merck & Co (NYSE: MRK) is having a ghastly Halloween season.

On Friday, its shares closed 6% down after the company presented financial results for the latest quarter that included confirmation of increasing competition, a costly cyber attack and further expenses that hit revenue and earnings.

Another reason for the share slipping late on Friday – and the likely cause of its further 5% drop by Monday lunchtime to $55.43, was news that Merck had withdrawn its European application for Keytruda (pembrolizumab) in combination with pemetrexed and carboplatin as a first-line treatment for metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

This article is accessible to registered users, to continue reading please register for free. A free trial will give you access to exclusive features, interviews, round-ups and commentary from the sharpest minds in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology space for a week. If you are already a registered user please login. If your trial has come to an end, you can subscribe here.

Try before you buy

Free

7 day trial access

Take a Free Trial

All the news that moves the needle in pharma and biotech
Exclusive features, podcasts, interviews, data analyses and commentary from our global network of life sciences reporters.
Receive The Pharma Letter daily news bulletin, free forever.

Become a subscriber

£820

Or £77 per month

Subscribe Now

Unfettered access to industry-leading news, commentary and analysis in pharma and biotech.
Updates from clinical trials, conferences, M&A, licensing, financing, regulation, patents & legal, executive appointments, commercial strategy and financial results.
Daily roundup of key events in pharma and biotech.
Monthly in-depth briefings on Boardroom appointments and M&A news.
Choose from a cost-effective annual package or a flexible monthly subscription

The Pharma Letter is an extremely useful and valuable Life Sciences service that brings together a daily update on performance people and products. It’s part of the key information for keeping me informed

Chairman, Sanofi Aventis UK