Big News Out Of Merck This Weekend

There are two big news from the staple of Merck & Co., Inc. MRK during the weekend. While the first related to KEYNOTE-045 meeting primary endpoint, the second is in respect of FDA approval for ZINPLAVA to reduce recurrence of clostridium difficile (C. Diff.) infection in adults.

Despite the big news from the drug maker, the stock may only witness a slender gain only on Monday.

The company's final stage KEYNOE-045 study assessing the use of KEYTRUDA met the primary endpoint of overall survival. During the study, KEYTRUDA was superior than investigator choice chemotherapy. Significantly, the safety profile demonstrated consistency that is in line with the previous trials involving patients with advanced urothelial cancer.

Related Link: Merck Has An Upcoming PDUFA Date For Bezlotoxumab

As far as ZINPLAVA, Merck disclosed that the drug candidate is indicated to cut down C. Diff. infection recurrence in patients of 18 years or older who are getting the antibacterial drug treatment.

While stating that ZINPLAVA is not indicated for CDI treatment, the company clarified that ZINPLAVA is not an antibacterial drug. The drug maker pointed out that ZINPLAVA should be used only in conjunction with antibacterial drug treatment of CDI.

Merck Research Laboratories VP of clinical development, Nicholas Kartsonis, commented, "For generations, Merck has been steadfast in its commitment to fighting infectious diseases – and that commitment continues today. ZINPLAVA is a human monoclonal antibody that binds to C. difficile toxin B and neutralizes its effects."

Merk added 0.20 percent to $61.32 in early Monday trading. However, at last check, the stock was down 0.23 percent at $61.06.

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