Merck & Co Stock Price, News & Analysis

Merck (NYSE: MRK) has announced that Dr. Eliav Barr, senior vice president, head of global clinical development and chief medical officer of Merck Research Laboratories, will participate in a fireside chat at the 7th Annual Evercore ISI HealthCONx Conference. The event is scheduled for Tuesday, December 3, 2024, at 1:20 p.m. EST. A live audio webcast of the presentation will be available to investors, analysts, media members, and the general public through a provided weblink.

Merck (MRK) has received approval from China's NMPA for WELIREG® (belzutifan), marking its first approval in China and 17th globally. The drug is approved for treating adult patients with certain von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease-associated tumors who require therapy but not immediate surgery. WELIREG is the first and only systemic therapy and HIF-2α inhibitor approved in China for this indication.

The approval is based on the Phase 2 LITESPARK-004 trial results, which showed significant response rates: 49% in VHL-associated RCC patients, 63% in CNS hemangioblastomas patients, and 83% in pNET patients. The median duration of response was not reached in any group, with responses lasting up to 22.3+ months.

Merck (MRK) announced that Surendralal L. 'Lal' Karsanbhai, president and CEO of Emerson Electric Co., will join its board of directors effective January 1, 2025. Karsanbhai will stand for election by shareholders in May 2025, bringing the total board membership to 13. With a career at Emerson since 1995, Karsanbhai became its CEO in 2021. He currently serves as deputy chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and on the US-China Business Council board.

Merck (MRK) announced the presentation of new data for its hematology pipeline at the ASH Annual Meeting in San Diego (Dec. 7-10). The company will showcase more than 20 abstracts, featuring research on investigational medicines including zilovertamab vedotin, an antibody-drug conjugate targeting ROR1, nemtabrutinib, a non-covalent BTK inhibitor, and bomedemstat, an oral LSD1 inhibitor. Key presentations include first-time results from Phase 2 studies evaluating zilovertamab vedotin in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and mantle cell lymphoma, as well as nemtabrutinib in follicular lymphoma. Updated results for KEYTRUDA in Hodgkin lymphoma will also be presented.

The Merck Foundation has launched a new $17 million initiative called the Collaborative for Equity in Cardiac Care, running from 2025 to 2030. The program aims to improve access to high-quality cardiac care in underserved U.S. communities by transforming primary care delivery, building community partnerships, and addressing social barriers to healthcare. The initiative focuses on helping people with heart conditions who face challenges in accessing timely diagnoses and quality care. Qualified 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations can apply to join the Collaborative by submitting a letter of intent by January 10, 2025.

Merck (NYSE: MRK) has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.81 per share for the first quarter of 2025. The dividend will be paid on January 8, 2025, to shareholders who are on record as of December 16, 2024. The company, which operates as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, made this announcement following a decision by its Board of Directors.

Merck (MRK) announced positive Phase 3 trial results for subcutaneous pembrolizumab with berahyaluronidase alfa and chemotherapy in treating metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. The trial met its dual primary pharmacokinetic endpoints, demonstrating noninferiority compared to intravenous KEYTRUDA with chemotherapy. The subcutaneous administration takes only 2-3 minutes, potentially improving patient experience and healthcare access. Secondary endpoints for efficacy and safety were generally consistent between both administration methods. The results will be presented at an upcoming medical meeting and shared with regulatory authorities worldwide.

Merck (MRK) received a positive CHMP opinion recommending approval of KEYTRUDA in combination with pemetrexed and platinum chemotherapy for first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable non-epithelioid malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). The recommendation is based on the Phase 2/3 IND.227/KEYNOTE-483 trial results, where KEYTRUDA plus chemotherapy showed significant improvement in overall survival, reducing death risk by 21% compared to chemotherapy alone. The treatment demonstrated median overall survival of 17.3 months versus 16.1 months for chemotherapy alone, and improved overall response rate (52% vs 29%). A final EU decision is expected in Q4 2024.

Merck (NYSE: MRK) has announced its participation in the upcoming Jefferies London Healthcare Conference. Joseph Romanelli, president of Human Health International, and Dr. Marjorie Green, senior vice president and head of oncology at Merck Research Laboratories, will engage in a fireside chat on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, at 6:30 a.m. EST / 11:30 a.m. GMT. The event will be accessible to investors, analysts, media, and the public through a live audio webcast.