Merck's Keytruda Receives Priority Review for a Key Indication
Merck's (NYSE: MRK) application for permission to treat a large cohort of advanced-stage cancer patients with Keytruda has been accepted for a priority review by the FDA. The company is seeking approval for the drug to be used as a treatment for anyone with solid tumors that harbor more genetic mutations than usual.
Keytruda from Merck and Opdivo from Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) use the same mechanism to make it harder for tumors to hide from the immune system. In January 2019, Bristol Myers Squibb withdrew an FDA application to use Opdivo plus Yervoy as a treatment for newly diagnosed lung cancer patients with a high tumor mutational burden (TMB). It withdrew the application because long-term outcome data didn't suggest a strong survival benefit for the combination compared to standard chemotherapy in the first-line lung cancer setting.
Image source: Getty Images.
Source Fool.com
