Merck's Keytruda-Chemo Combo Wins European Approval In Esophagus Cancer

The European Commission has approved Merck & Co Inc's MRK Keytruda in combination with platinum- and fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy as first-line treatment of Esophageal Carcinoma or Gastroesophageal Junction (GEJ) Adenocarcinoma.
The approval covers patients with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic carcinoma of the esophagus or HER2-negative GEJ adenocarcinoma whose tumors express PD-L1.
This approval is based on results from the Phase 3 KEYNOTE-590 trial, in which Keytruda plus 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and cisplatin demonstrated statistically significant improvements in overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) compared with 5-FU and cisplatin alone in all pre-specified study populations.
Price Action: MRK shares are up 0.22% at $77.03 during the premarket session on the last check Tuesday.