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Merck's Keytruda Reaches Blockbuster Status, But Still Lags In Lung Cancer

 
• By Joseph Haas

Merck’s PD-1 inhibitor Keytruda brought in $1.4bn in 2016 and appears poised to take advantage of first-mover status among immuno-oncology agents in first-line NSCLC.

T-cell

Merck & Co. Inc.'s Keytruda (pembrolizumab) finally reached the blockbuster benchmark in 2016 and while it still tails Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.’s PD-1 inhibitor Opdivo, there are signs Merck’s anti-PD-1 cancer immunotherapy is positioned to dominate in the key first-line non-small cell lung cancer setting thanks to first-mover advantage and what one analyst called smart development and filing strategies.

The pharma reported flat overall revenues for fourth quarter 2016 on Feb. 2, but called Keytruda a key growth product...

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Stock Watch: On Q1 Vaccine Sales And Measles Outbreaks

 
• By Andy Smith

A recent study suggested that measles could become endemic in the US due to low vaccination rates. However, first-quarter vaccine sales offered a more nuanced picture.

Loss Of Exclusivity Product Launches To Fuel Aurobindo’s FY26 Europe Growth

 
• By Vibha Ravi

Aurobindo is banking on launches of loss of exclusivity products and biosimilars to fuel sales in Europe as it awaits a US announcement on tariffs and predicts high single-digit growth overall during FY26 for now

Korea Q1 Roundup: Mixed Earnings, Gearing For Possible US Tariffs

 
• By Jung Won Shin

South Korean biopharma companies report a mostly solid first quarter, marked by US growth for original drugs, with several also making preparations for possible US pharma tariffs.

Sun On Leqselvi US Launch Ahead, MFN Pricing And Pipeline Changes

 
• By Anju Ghangurde

Sun readies US debut of Leqselvi for alopecia areata, while PD-L1 inhibitor Unloxcyt is in the line up once the Checkpoint Therapeutics deal is completed. Management also discusses limited clarity on President Trump’s most favored nation pricing push, pipeline tweaks and M&A outlook.

More from Business

AstraZeneca Taps Into China’s R&D Engine With CSPC Alliance

 
• By Andrew McConaghie

After in-licensing a cardiovascular candidate last year, AstraZeneca has signed a strategic drug discovery alliance, which could generate billions of dollars in payments to the Chinese firm.

Finance Watch: Insmed Cashes In On Positive Data With $750m Offering

 
• By Mandy Jackson

Public Company Edition: Insmed raised $750m after reporting positive Phase IIb data in PAH, Cogent accessed up to $400m in new debt, Kelun-Biotech netted $250m in a placement of shares and ADC revealed a $100m private placement. In strategic updates, Recursion cut 20% of its jobs.

Lilly Looks For Muscle-Sparing Candidates In Pact With Juvena

 
• By Joseph Haas

Deal Snapshot: Including its internal efforts with bimagrumab, Lilly has been seeking a muscle-sparing therapy to complement GLP-1 obesity drugs, such as Zepbound.