Merck's Welireg-Lenvima Combo Cuts Cancer Progression Risk by 30%; FDA Accepts NDAs
Summary
Merck announced that its Welireg plus Lenvima combination therapy reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 30% compared to cabozantinib in certain previously treated patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The FDA has also accepted for review two supplemental New Drug Applications (sNDAs) for this combination. This positive clinical and regulatory update follows recent strong news regarding Merck's Keytruda combinations on February 27th, indicating a robust oncology pipeline. This data strengthens Merck's oncology portfolio beyond Keytruda and provides a potential new growth driver, which could help offset future revenue pressures from Keytruda as highlighted in the company's recent 10-K filing. Investors will monitor the FDA's review process and potential approval timelines for the Welireg plus Lenvima combination.
At the time of this announcement, MRK was trading at $123.31 on NYSE in the Life Sciences sector, with a market capitalization of approximately $306.1B. The 52-week trading range was $73.31 to $125.14. This news item was assessed with positive market sentiment and an importance score of 8 out of 10. Source: Reuters.