Merck Gets EU Approval of Expanded Keytruda Use in Breast Cancer
May 24 2022 - 07:30AM
Dow Jones News
By Colin Kellaher
Merck & Co. on Tuesday said the European Commission approved
the expanded use of its blockbuster cancer drug Keytruda for
certain breast-cancer patients.
The Kenilworth, N.J., drugmaker said the approval covers
Keytruda in combination with chemotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment,
and then continued as monotherapy as adjuvant treatment after
surgery for adults with locally advanced or early-stage
triple-negative breast cancer at high risk of recurrence.
Triple-negative breast cancer, a type of breast cancer that
doesn't have any of the receptors commonly found in breast cancer,
accounts for 10% to 15% of all breast cancers and is usually more
aggressive, harder to treat and more likely to recur.
Merck said the Keytruda combination is the first immunotherapy
option approved in the EU for high-risk, early-stage
triple-negative breast cancer, adding that the decision marks the
fifth approval for Keytruda in a breast or gynecologic cancer in
the EU in less than a year.
Keytruda, a cancer drug that harnesses a patient's immune system
to fight tumors, is approved in dozens of indications around the
world. Sales of the drug topped $17 billion last year.
Write to Colin Kellaher at colin.kellaher@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
May 24, 2022 07:15 ET (11:15 GMT)
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