Merck (NYSE: MRK) said Monday a late-stage trial of its blockbuster cancer drug, Keytruda, met the main goal of helping previously untreated lung cancer patients live longer.
An independent committee determined the trial, which tested Keytruda as a monotherapy to treat non-small cell lung cancer, extended the lives of patients significantly compared with those being treated by chemotherapy.
Based on the recommendation, the trial will continue to evaluate a secondary goal of testing whether the treatment can delay the disease from progressing.
Keytruda is already approved to treat several forms of cancer, including advanced melanoma. The drug racked up $3.81 billion in revenue in 2017.
The American Cancer Society says lung cancer is the second most common cancer and is expected to kill over 154,000 people in the U.S. alone this year.
Various media outlets are reporting that an approval to treat patients who have not received any prior treatments will make the drug available to a large number of people and open up a key market for Merck, which is already considered the front-runner in the space.
Also Monday came news that the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Health and Prevention has approved the registration of the company’s MAVENCLAD® (cladribine tablets) for the treatment of adult patients with highly active relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) as defined by clinical or imaging features.
The announcement sent the stock hurtling $1.29, or 2.4%, in early trade on Monday to $54.65, within a 52-week trading range of $52.83 to $66.41.
