Benzinga | Nov 1, 2021 07:27AM EDT

New Data Reaffirms Merck's Keytruda In Extending Survival In Melanoma Patients

* Merck & Co Inc (NYSE:MRK) announced new data from studies evaluating Keytruda (pembrolizumab) in melanoma patients.

* The Company shared the data at the Society for Melanoma Research (SMR) 2021 Congress.

* 210 former participants of KEYNOTE-006 (158 patients treated with KEYTRUDA and 52 patients treated with ipilimumab) were assessed for a 7-year follow-up.

* Findings from this long-term follow-up showed that median overall survival (OS) was 32.7 months for Keytruda and 15.9 months for Bristol-Myers Squibb Co's (NYSE:BMY) Yervoy (ipilimumab).

* The 7-year OS rates were 37.8% for Keytruda and 25.3% for ipilimumab.

* Merck also shared data from the KEYNOTE-716 Phase 3 trial of Keytruda compared to placebo in adult and pediatric (12 years or older) patients with resected stage IIB or IIC melanoma.

* At the protocol-specified second interim analysis (IA2), treatment with Keytruda continued to show a clinically meaningful improvement in recurrence-free survival (RFS) compared to placebo as adjuvant therapy, with a reduction in the risk of disease recurrence or death of 39%.

* 14.8% of patients who received Keytruda had a recurrence or died compared to 23.5% of patients on placebo.

* Twice as many patients on placebo (12.3%) experienced distant recurrence than patients on Keytruda (6.4%).

* Price Action: MRK shares are up 0.01% at $88.06 during the premarket session on the last check Monday.