Merck’s Keytruda Improves Survival for Esophageal Cancer Patients

Merck said its blockbuster cancer drug Keytruda (pembrolizumab) in combination with chemotherapy significantly improved survival in patients with locally advanced or first-line metastatic esophageal cancer in a phase 3 clinical trial.

Keytruda plus chemotherapy “resulted in superior overall survival compared with the current standard of care in the full study population and across all patient groups evaluated,” said Roy Baynes, chief medical officer for Merck Research Laboratories.

Keytruda is currently approved for numerous types of cancer. The drug earned more than $11 billion for Merck in 2019.