MSD Gets Green Light from the European Commission for Keytruda, the World’s best-Selling Drug

Merck Sharp&Dohme (MSD) receives a boost from Europe. The American laboratory has announced that the European Commission (EC) has approved the compound pembrolizumab, the base of Keytruda, an oncological drug. This is the company’s star drug, the best-selling in 2023 and whose sales the pharmacy expects to represent 50% of sales in 2028. This approval follows the positive resolution of the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (Chmp) issued in February 2024.

“Despite clinical advances for patients with metastatic lung cancer, this pathology continues to be the main cause of cancer death in Europe, reinforcing the need to treat these patients in the early stages of the disease, where we can obtain greater impact,” said Dr. Solange Peters, director of the department of medical oncology and thoracic diseases at the Vaudois University Hospital Center in Lausanne, Switzerland.

MSD closed 2023 with a turnover of 55.5 billion euros, 1% more than in 2022, when it obtained sales of 54.7 billion euros. The pharmaceutical company closed the fourth quarter with 13.5 billion euros in turnover, exceeding Wall Street expectations by 120 million euros. The difference is due to sales of Keytruda and the papilloma vaccine, Gardasil.

MSD has two drugs in the top 10 best-selling drugs in the world: Keytruda and Gardasil

The results given by MSD for the fourth quarter represent a quarterly net loss, but this is an expected figure after the agreement that the company closed with the Japanese pharmaceutical company Daiichi Sankyo to develop three cancer treatments.

The pharmaceutical division of the German multinational invoiced 12.1 billion euros in the fourth quarter, which is 8% more than in the previous period. Keytruda, whose patent expires in 2028, became the best-selling drug in 2023, and the consulting firm Evaluate Pharma predicts that it will continue to lead the top 10, sharing the ranking with Gardasil, also from MSD, in ninth position .

MSD’s oncology treatment, Keytruda, obtained sales of 6.1 billion euros in 2023, 21% more than in the previous period , already before the boost that is expected to be given by the green light from the EC. The turnover generated by Gardasil sales stood at 1.7 billion euros, 27% more than in the fourth quarter of 2022.

__

(Featured image by Marek Studzinsky via Unsplash)

DISCLAIMER: This article was written by a third party contributor and does not reflect the opinion of Born2Invest, its management, staff or its associates. Please review our disclaimer for more information.

This article may include forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “estimate,” “become,” “plan,” “will,” and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks as well as uncertainties, including those discussed in the following cautionary statements and elsewhere in this article and on this site. Although the Company may believe that its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, the actual results that the Company may achieve may differ materially from any forward-looking statements, which reflect the opinions of the management of the Company only as of the date hereof. Additionally, please make sure to read these important disclosures.

First published in PlantaDoce. A third-party contributor translated and adapted the articles from the originals. In case of discrepancy, the originals will prevail.

Although we made reasonable efforts to provide accurate translations, some parts may be incorrect. Born2Invest assumes no responsibility for errors, omissions or ambiguities in the translations provided on this website. Any person or entity relying on translated content does so at their own risk. Born2Invest is not responsible for losses caused by such reliance on the accuracy or reliability of translated information. If you wish to report an error or inaccuracy in the translation, we encourage you to contact us