Spiralling sales of Keytruda key to Merck & Co growth

30 July 2019

Keytruda (pembrolizumab) continues to keep sales looking very healthy at US pharma giant Merck & Co (NYSE: MRK) as revenue from the immuno-oncology treatment went up by nearly $1 billion compared to the second quarter of 2018.

A remarkable 58% jump in sales of the drug, or 63% at constant currencies, along with strong demand for the company’s vaccines, and a 41% increase in revenue from the Chinese market, helped Merck’s total sales to grow by 12% to $11.76 billion.

The Keytruda and total sales figures beat expectations, as they did for the group’s earnings during the quarter.

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