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Merck's Keytruda Claims Market Leadership In First-line Lung Cancer

 
• By Emily Hayes

Merck enjoyed a good second quarter, beating sales expectations for Keytruda and other drugs, which helped offset losses related to patent expirations.

3d illustration of T cells or cancer cells

Merck & Co. Inc.'s PD-1 inhibitor Keytruda performed well in the second quarter and has a dominant market position in first-line lung cancer with a 26% market share of new patient starts in the US – more than any other drug in that setting, the company reported July 28.

The company revealed above-consensus pharma sales of $8.8bn in the second quarter, up by 2% from the same period in 2016. Keytruda (pembrolizumab) brought in $881m in sales, up by 180% from the same period in 2016. Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.'s PD-1 inhibitor Opdivo (nivolumab), Keytruda's biggest competitor, had sales of $1.19bn in the second quarter, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 42%

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• By Dave Wallace

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