Merck & Co., Inc. - MRK STOCK NEWS

BetterInvesting Magazine's Editorial Advisory and Securities Review Committee has named Merck (MRK) as its 'Stock to Study' and Ball Corp (BALL) as its 'Undervalued Stock' in the January 2025 issue. The announcement aims to provide educational resources for investors. The organization has launched a free eLearning course called Stock Investing Basics to help new investors get started. The committee emphasizes these selections are for educational purposes only and not explicit purchase recommendations.

Merck (MRK) has received two new European Commission approvals for KEYTRUDA in gynecologic cancers, marking its 30th EU approval. The first approval is for KEYTRUDA with carboplatin and paclitaxel for first-line treatment of primary advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma. The second is for KEYTRUDA with chemoradiotherapy for FIGO Stage III-IVA locally advanced cervical cancer.

Clinical trials showed significant improvements: In NRG-GY018/KEYNOTE-868, the KEYTRUDA combination reduced disease progression risk by 70% in dMMR patients and 40% in pMMR patients. In KEYNOTE-A18, the treatment demonstrated meaningful improvements in overall survival and progression-free survival compared to chemoradiotherapy alone.

Merck's CAPVAXIVE receives CDC's ACIP recommendation for pneumococcal vaccination in adults aged 50 and older, lowering the previous age-based recommendation from 65. Based on CDC surveillance data, CAPVAXIVE covers serotypes responsible for approximately 84% of invasive pneumococcal disease cases, compared to 52% covered by PCV20. The vaccine is indicated for active immunization against invasive disease and pneumonia caused by 21 Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes in adults 18 years and older. The recommendation includes a single dose for adults 50+ and those 19-49 with certain medical conditions who haven't received previous pneumococcal conjugate vaccines.

Gilead Sciences (GILD) and Merck (MRK) announced positive Phase 2 data for their investigational oral once-weekly combination regimen of islatravir and lenacapavir for HIV treatment. The study showed that 94.2% of participants maintained viral suppression at Week 48 after switching from daily Biktarvy to the weekly regimen. Key findings include:

- Zero participants had a viral load ≥50 copies/mL at Week 48
- Treatment-related adverse events were experienced by 19.2% of participants in the islatravir + lenacapavir group
- No grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse events were reported
- The combination is advancing to Phase 3 trials

This investigational regimen has the potential to become the first weekly oral HIV treatment, offering a novel option for people living with HIV.

Merck (NYSE: MRK) announced positive results from the Phase 2b/3 clinical trial of clesrovimab, an investigational monoclonal antibody designed to protect infants from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease. The trial met all prespecified endpoints, showing:

- 60.4% reduction in RSV-associated medically attended lower respiratory infections (MALRI)
- 84.2% reduction in RSV-associated hospitalizations
- 90.9% reduction in RSV-associated lower respiratory infection hospitalizations
- 91.7% reduction in severe MALRI

Clesrovimab demonstrated a comparable safety profile to palivizumab in a separate Phase 3 trial for at-risk infants. Merck aims to make clesrovimab available as early as the 2025-26 RSV season, potentially becoming the first immunization to protect both healthy and at-risk infants with a single dose regardless of weight.

Exelixis (EXEL) and Merck (MRK) have announced a clinical development collaboration to evaluate combinations of Exelixis' investigational tyrosine kinase inhibitor zanzalintinib with Merck's therapies in head and neck cancer and renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The collaboration includes:

1. A phase 3 trial combining zanzalintinib with KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

2. A phase 1/2 trial and two phase 3 trials combining zanzalintinib with WELIREG (belzutifan) for RCC.

Merck will supply KEYTRUDA for the ongoing STELLAR-305 trial in HNSCC and sponsor the RCC trials. Exelixis will co-fund some studies and supply zanzalintinib and cabozantinib. Exelixis retains global commercial rights to zanzalintinib.

Merck (NYSE: MRK) announced plans to present new research findings at IDWeek 2024 in Los Angeles, showcasing its diverse vaccines and infectious disease portfolio. Key presentations include:

1. Detailed results from the Phase 2b/3 trial of clesrovimab (MK-1654), an investigational monoclonal antibody for RSV prevention in infants.

2. Data from the Phase 3 STRIDE-8 trial evaluating CAPVAXIVE™ (Pneumococcal 21-valent Conjugate Vaccine) in adults 18-64 years at increased risk of pneumococcal disease.

3. Week 48 data from a Phase 2 study on a once-weekly oral combination of islatravir and lenacapavir for HIV-1 treatment.

The company will present over 40 data presentations across vaccines, antibacterials, and antivirals, demonstrating its commitment to addressing global health needs in infectious diseases.

Merck's KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) has met its primary endpoint of event-free survival (EFS) in the Phase 3 KEYNOTE-689 trial for patients with resected, locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LA-HNSCC). The study evaluated KEYTRUDA as a perioperative treatment, including neoadjuvant therapy, post-surgery treatment with standard-of-care radiotherapy, and maintenance therapy.

Key findings include:

• Statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in EFS
• Significant improvement in major pathological response (mPR)
• Trend toward improvement in overall survival (OS)
• Consistent safety profile with no new safety signals

This marks the first positive trial in two decades for this patient population and could potentially change clinical practice. Results will be presented at an upcoming medical meeting and submitted to regulatory authorities.

Merck has launched a new podcast series called 'Career On Purpose', with the first episode focusing on their 'Skills-First' program. This initiative aims to attract, develop, advance, and retain talented individuals without four-year degrees. The episode features insights from Ngozi Motilewa, enterprise HR lead for the Skills-First Diversity Talent Initiative, who discusses the program's origins and impact. Robert Roberson, an enterprise shared service manager at Merck, shares his personal journey and highlights the importance of mentoring in his career progression within the program.

Merck, known as MSD outside the US and Canada, is a research-intensive biopharmaceutical company with a 130-year history of developing medicines and vaccines. The company emphasizes its commitment to diversity, inclusion, and responsible operations to create a sustainable and healthy future for communities worldwide.