Merck & Co.
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While some biopharma companies beat expectations, others fell short for various reasons, with some deciding to return or axe assets.
Merck is paying $700 million upfront to buy Curon Biopharmaceutical’s bispecific antibody which depletes B cells and is being investigated for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and B cell acute lymphocytic leukemia.
The pharma said Thursday it is stopping a late-stage study of its blockbuster Keytruda plus the anti-TIGIT antibody vibostolimab and chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer, following a recommendation from an independent data monitoring committee.
After Merck noted the issue in its Q2 earnings call without providing specifics, analysts are left in the dark about the HPV vaccine’s future in China.
After dropping $4 billion on a deal with the Japanese company last year, Merck is getting back some of its investment as Daiichi Sankyo buys into a Phase I/II T-cell engager therapy acquired from Harpoon Therapeutics.
Second-quarter earnings season continues with Big Pharma beating Wall Street expectations, the author of an encrypted email sent to BioSpace has a proposal for Moderna and Merck, Roche and Viking seek quicker entry to the obesity market, and AAIC is in full swing.
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