Merck Pipeline Catalysts Drive 'Buy' Rating Expectation
Bank of America (BofA) hosted investor meetings with Merck chief medical officer Eliav Barr, who expressed confidence in the company's pipeline, particularly in oncology and other programs.
The bank highlighted several key clinical catalysts approaching over the next 12 to 18 months. The main focus is on SAC-TMT data in lung cancer, including Phase 3 results expected from the OptiTrop-Lung06 study at the European Society for Medical Oncology meeting.
Barr emphasized the potential of combining SAC-TMT with Keytruda and other immuno-oncology treatments. The bank noted that Merck's linker chemistry supports a strong bystander effect while limiting toxicity, allowing lower effective doses and facilitating combination treatments.
MERCK is also advancing its intismeran personalized cancer vaccine developed with Moderna. Upcoming data in renal cell carcinoma and bladder cancer are expected to determine the treatment's potential expansion beyond melanoma.