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As Merck Diversifies Beyond Keytruda, It Will Lean On Its Oncology Leadership Position

Cardiology, Infectious Diseases Also Remain Core Areas

 
• By Mandy Jackson

Merck Research Laboratories president Dean Li said there is no ideal product mix for the company, but noted cancer drugs will remain a priority given the groundwork Keytruda laid for Merck in oncology.

Merck Research Laboratories in South San Francisco
Keytruda lays firm ground underlying Merck's ongoing oncology R&D • Source: Shutterstock

Merck & Co., Inc. helped reshape the way that many cancer patients are treated by bringing forward an immunotherapy that improved survival and reduced cancer recurrence across multiple aggressive tumor types. Merck Research Laboratories president Dean Li told Scrip that the company will continue to build on the oncology leadership position that it has gained through the development of Keytruda (pembrolizumab) as it prepares for loss of exclusivity for the PD-1 inhibitor in 2028.

Keytruda is not just the top-selling therapy in the PD-1/L1 class, but Merck’s biggest product by a wide margin. Its $5.4bn in third quarter 2022 sales was more than a...

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