Merck & Co Stock Price, News & Analysis

Merck (NYSE: MRK) announced its participation in the upcoming 2025 Wells Fargo Healthcare Conference. Caroline Litchfield, executive vice president and CFO, along with Dr. Eliav Barr, SVP and chief medical officer of Merck Research Laboratories, will engage in a fireside chat on September 4, 2025, at 11:50 a.m. EDT.

The presentation will be accessible through a live audio webcast, open to investors, analysts, media, and the general public.

Merck (NYSE:MRK) and Daiichi Sankyo have initiated the HERTHENA-Breast04 phase 3 trial evaluating patritumab deruxtecan (HER3-DXd) for patients with metastatic hormone receptor positive, HER2 negative breast cancer. The trial will assess the drug against investigator's choice of treatment in patients who experienced disease progression following endocrine and CDK4/6 inhibitor therapy.

The study's initiation follows promising results from the ICARUS-Breast01 and a previous phase 1/2 trial. This development is particularly significant as only 30% of patients with advanced or metastatic disease survive five years post-diagnosis, highlighting a critical need for new treatment options in this challenging disease setting.

Merck (NYSE: MRK) will present extensive new research data at the European Society of Cardiology Congress (ESC) 2025 in Madrid, focusing on three major cardiovascular areas: atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), pulmonary hypertension (PH), and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).

Key presentations include clinical trial results for WINREVAIR™ (sotatercept-csrk) in PH patients and VERQUVO® (vericiguat) in HFrEF patients through the VICTOR trial. The company will host three symposia discussing LDL-C management in ASCVD, PAH treatment approaches, and CVD challenges.

The comprehensive research program demonstrates Merck's ongoing commitment to addressing cardiovascular disease, which remains the leading cause of death worldwide with approximately 19 million deaths annually.

Merck Animal Health (NYSE:MRK) released findings from a comprehensive global survey highlighting significant gaps in flea and tick prevention for pets. The study, involving 4,072 pet owners and 582 veterinarians across 15 countries, revealed that while 83% of pet owners consider flea and tick treatment crucial, many struggle with consistent administration.

Key findings show that despite 80% of pet owners feeling confident in administering medication, 74% of veterinarians worry about inconsistent treatment administration. In the U.S., two-thirds of veterinarians report that most pet owners don't follow year-round treatment plans. The survey also found that 65% of veterinarians would likely recommend an annual medication option, while 75% of pet owners are willing to try once-yearly treatments.

Merck (NYSE:MRK) and Daiichi Sankyo announced that their novel B7-H3 directed antibody drug conjugate (ADC) ifinatamab deruxtecan (I-DXd) has received Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) from the FDA for treating extensive-stage small cell lung cancer in adults who experienced disease progression after platinum-based chemotherapy.

The BTD, which marks the first designation for ifinatamab deruxtecan and the first since the Merck-Daiichi Sankyo collaboration began, was granted based on data from the IDeate-Lung01 phase 2 trial and supported by the IDeate-PanTumor01 phase 1/2 trial. The primary analysis results will be presented at the upcoming IASLC 2025 World Conference on Lung Cancer.

Merck (NYSE: MRK) announced positive Phase 3 results for KEYTRUDA plus Padcev in treating muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) patients ineligible for cisplatin-based chemotherapy. The KEYNOTE-905 trial demonstrated statistically significant improvements in event-free survival, overall survival, and pathologic complete response rate when the combination therapy was administered before and after surgery, compared to surgery alone.

This marks a historic breakthrough as the first systemic therapy to improve survival in this patient population and the first positive Phase 3 study for cisplatin-ineligible MIBC patients. The safety profile aligned with known profiles of both drugs, with no new safety concerns identified. The companies plan to present detailed results at an upcoming medical meeting and share findings with global regulatory authorities.

Merck (NYSE:MRK) reported Q2 2025 financial results with total worldwide sales of $15.8 billion, down 2% year-over-year. The company's flagship product KEYTRUDA achieved sales of $8.0 billion, growing 9%, while GARDASIL/GARDASIL 9 sales declined 55% to $1.1 billion due to lower demand in China.

Q2 GAAP EPS was $1.76 and non-GAAP EPS was $2.13, both including a $0.07 per share charge for the Hengrui Pharma license agreement. Merck announced a $10 billion acquisition of Verona Pharma, adding Ohtuvayre, a first-in-class COPD treatment, to its portfolio. The company also revealed a multiyear optimization initiative targeting $3.0 billion in annual cost savings by 2027.

For full-year 2025, Merck narrowed its worldwide sales guidance to $64.3-65.3 billion and non-GAAP EPS range to $8.87-8.97, excluding the Verona Pharma acquisition impact.

Merck (NYSE: MRK) has announced its quarterly dividend for Q4 2025. The company's Board of Directors has declared a dividend of $0.81 per share of common stock. The dividend will be paid on October 7, 2025, to shareholders who are on record as of September 15, 2025.

Veeva Systems (NYSE: VEEV) announced that Merck (NYSE: MRK) has committed to implementing Veeva Vault CRM to support their upcoming product launches across multiple therapeutic areas. The partnership expansion highlights Merck's strategic decision to leverage Vault CRM for enhanced commercial execution.

Vault CRM, part of the Vault CRM Suite, offers deep applications for commercial execution across personal and digital channels, featuring advanced global capabilities to address region-specific business and compliance requirements. This technology adoption comes at a crucial time as Merck prepares for one of its most significant launch periods in company history.