Merck & Co Inc (NYSE:MRK)'s flagship breast cancer drug Keytruda met one of the primary goals of a late-stage clinical trial in breast cancer patients, the company announced Friday.
Taken in combination with chemotherapy, the drug was shown to help clear all signs of tumors compared to a placebo plus chemotherapy.
The study is expected to continue without any changes in order to evaluate the second study goal of reaching a significant timeframe without a patient experiencing any complications. That’s based on the recommendation of the data monitoring committee, the company said.
Merck shares gained 0.4% Friday morning to $105.73.
The milestone result comes less than a week before Merck is scheduled to report earnings on August 1 before the opening bell.
Sales of Keytruda are an important figure investors will be watching for.
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