EU Panel Backs Keytruda-Padcev Combo for Bladder Cancer, Expanding Market
MRK sits 89% above its 52-week low of $77.58.
Summary
The EU's CHMP recommended approval of Keytruda plus Padcev as perioperative treatment for resectable muscle-invasive bladder cancer, including cisplatin-eligible patients. This expands the prior EU approval (June 2026) which was limited to cisplatin-ineligible patients. The recommendation is based on KEYNOTE-B15, showing a 47% reduction in risk of disease progression or death and a 35% reduction in risk of death versus standard chemotherapy. A final European Commission decision is expected by Q4 2026. This follows the FDA approval of the same combination in July 2026, and strengthens Keytruda's position in bladder cancer, a market with over 224,000 annual diagnoses in Europe.
At the time of this announcement, MRK was trading at $146.64 on NYSE in the Life Sciences sector, with a market capitalization of approximately $363B. The 52-week trading range was $77.58 to $156.92. This news item was assessed with positive market sentiment and an importance score of 8 out of 10. Source: BusinessWire.