The FDA approved Keytruda and Keytruda Qlex with paclitaxel, with or without bevacizumab, for PD-L1-positive platinum-resistant ovarian-related cancers. The Phase III KEYNOTE-B96 trial showed improved progression-free and overall survival versus placebo.
Adagene and Incyte will collaborate on a Phase 1 study combining muzastotug with INCA33890 for MSS colorectal cancer patients, beginning in 2026. The collaboration marks the second instance where Adagene's SAFEbody technology is paired with a PD-1-based bispecific. Muzastotug has shown encouraging response rates in combination with pembrolizumab in previous trials.
The FDA has approved Agilent's PD-L1 IHC 22C3 pharmDx as a companion diagnostic for identifying esophageal cancer patients eligible for Merck's KEYTRUDA immunotherapy. This marks the eighth FDA-approved indication for this diagnostic test with KEYTRUDA. The test helps identify patients whose tumors express PD-L1 for potential treatment with the anti-PD-1 therapy.
A study published in Nature Microbiology demonstrates that a defined consortium of 15 gut bacterial species derived from immunotherapy responders significantly enhances anti-PD-1 treatment efficacy in mouse models of non-small-cell lung cancer.
Final analysis of Merck's Phase 3 KEYNOTE-B96 trial shows KEYTRUDA plus paclitaxel with or without bevacizumab significantly improved overall survival in platinum-resistant recurrent ovarian cancer patients, reducing death risk by 18%.
Merck secures regulatory approvals for Keytruda in ovarian cancer and subcutaneous formulation in Canada, while launching AI-driven drug discovery partnership with Mayo Clinic targeting high-need therapeutic areas.
