Merck Defends Its Offensive Strategy For Keytruda

30 Jul 2016

• By Emily Hayes

Merck reports $314m for PD-1 inhibitor Keytruda in second quarter, mostly from melanoma indication, leaving it far behind Bristol's Opdivo. Pressed about its competitive strategy, company execs touted first-to-market advantage in first-line lung cancer and a "wall of data" that will protect in the future.

While Merck & Co. Inc.'s Keytruda continues to trail Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.’s Opdivo and most of its sales continue to derive from the melanoma indication, the firm believes it can build its position in the checkpoint race with the first-mover advantage in first-line lung cancer and a “huge wall of data” it hopes will insulate the drug from follower competitors and potential price wars later on.

Merck had the first-to-market advantage with its PD-1 inhibitor Keytruda (pembrolizumab), with approval for metastatic melanoma in October 2014. But...