Key Stats for Merck Stock
- Price change for Merck stock in last 6 months: 28%
- $MRK Stock Price as of Oct. 21: $147
- 52-Week High: $157
- $MRK Stock Price Target: $159
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What Happened?
Moderna and Merck (MRK) shared results from a large melanoma trial on Thursday.
Their personalized mRNA cancer vaccine, combined with Merck’s Keytruda, cut the risk of death or recurrence by 42%. It also cut the risk of the cancer spreading by 38%.
The Phase 3 trial had more than 1,100 patients. After two years, 82.2% of patients on the combination were still cancer-free. For patients on Keytruda alone, the figure was 70%.
The vaccine is called intismeran autogene and is built around mutations unique to each patient’s tumor. The companies are also preparing to file for U.S. approval.
Moderna’s CEO expects a launch in 2027.
The combination is also being tested in kidney, bladder and lung cancer. Keytruda is approved for 19 types of cancer.
The full data will be presented on Saturday at the European Society for Medical Oncology meeting in Madrid.
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What the Market Is Telling Us About Merck Stock
Moderna announced the trial’s success in August, without the data, after which the stock is up over 300%.
They then closed more than 17% lower when the results leaked on Thursday. Merck stock fell about 1.8%, a small move next to Moderna’s drop.
The 42% result was right around what Wall Street expected, and Analysts had said they hoped for a cut of 40% or more.
One RBC analyst said melanoma was supposed to be the best case and expressed worries about how broadly the vaccine will work in other cancers.
For Merck stock, Keytruda matters a lot. On its latest earnings call, Merck said Keytruda sales were $8.4 billion in the quarter, up 4%.
Management also said U.S. Keytruda growth should slow as it reaches peak use in key areas.
A vaccine that works alongside Keytruda could help here.
Merck has said it sees $70 billion in commercial opportunity from more than 20 new products. The CEO called the coming Keytruda patent loss “more of a hill than a cliff.”
Nothing is approved yet. Investors will watch how the vaccine does in other cancers. For now, Merck stock is trading on both the strong melanoma data and questions about what comes next.
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So what is Merck stock actually worth?
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Disclaimer:
Please note that the articles on TIKR are not intended to serve as investment or financial advice from TIKR or our content team, nor are they recommendations to buy or sell any stocks. We create our content based on TIKR Terminal’s investment data and analysts’ estimates. Our analysis might not include recent company news or important updates. TIKR has no position in any stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading, and happy investing!
