On June 25, Merck rose 3.08% in regular trading, trading at $124.375/share, with turnover of $683 million. Multiple positive catalysts converged to drive the stock higher.
On the news front, the FDA approved Keytruda and Keytruda Qlex in combination with Trodelvy for the first-line treatment of PD-L1-positive unresectable locally advanced or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. This marks the first approved PD-1 inhibitor plus Trop-2-directed antibody-drug conjugate regimen in this indication. Phase 3 data showed the combination reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 35% versus Keytruda plus chemotherapy, with median progression-free survival improving to 11.2 months from 7.8 months.
Additionally, the European Commission approved Keytruda plus Padcev for muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients ineligible for cisplatin, showing a 60% lower risk of event-free survival events and 50% lower risk of death versus surgery alone. Merck also received approval in China for a platinum-resistant ovarian cancer indication, while CICC initiated coverage with an Outperform rating and a $138 target price.
(The above content is based on publicly available market information, generated by a program or algorithm, and is intended solely as a stock movement alert. It does not constitute investment advice or a basis for trading decisions.)
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