The week in pharma: action, reaction and insight – week to February 2, 2024

4 February 2024

By Barbara Obstoj-Cardwell. Editor

Among important clinical trial news last week, US pharma giant Merck & Co released positive new data on its PD-1 therapy Keytruda (pembrolizumab) in the treatment of bladder cancer. Also, Vertex Pharmaceuticals reported encouraging new data on its non-opioid acute pain candidate VX-548. On the deal-making front, Austria’s Hookipa Pharma announced that Swiss giant Roche is terminating its collaboration on the HB-700 program in KRAS mutated cancer, as a result of which Hookipa is reprioritizing its focus. Among the fourth-quarter and full-year 2023 financial results that were released last week, Merck & Co’s pruning of its R&D pipeline attracted comment.

Pembro breaks through the ccRCC OS barrier

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