Merck Surges to 52-Week High on Breakthrough Cancer Vaccine Trial

Merck's stock price surged to a new 52-week high of $154.49, up 3.4% in morning trading at $154.03. This boost is largely due to the company's recent landmark cancer vaccine trial results and positive analyst calls.

The Phase 3 INTerpath-001 trial of intismeran autogene, Merck’s personalized mRNA melanoma vaccine co-developed with Moderna, showed that the combination with Keytruda outperformed Keytruda alone in high-risk post-surgical melanoma patients. This breakthrough has sparked a wave of bullish analyst calls, with Morgan Stanley upgrading their rating to Overweight from Equal Weight and doubling their price target to $179.

BMO Capital also raised its target to $170, while UBS lifted its target to $175, and Goldman Sachs moved to $160. Analysts are confident that Merck's pipeline optionality, including intismeran autogene and other treatments, could drive growth beyond Keytruda's anticipated patent expiration in 2028.