Merck is set to spotlight three pivotal cancer trials at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2026, with first-time data presentations spanning melanoma and endometrial cancer, alongside a broad slate of research across more than 20 tumour types.
The company, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, announced that results from three pivotal clinical trials will feature in late-breaking Presidential Symposia at the congress in Madrid, Spain, from October 23-27. Merck will also present more than 90 additional abstracts covering its oncology pipeline and commercial portfolio.
The presentations will focus on investigational mRNA-based cancer immunotherapy intismeran autogene, the antibody-drug conjugate sacituzumab tirumotecan (sac-TMT), and KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab), Merck’s anti-PD-1 therapy. Additional data will cover lung and kidney cancers, including studies evaluating sac-TMT and WELIREG (belzutifan).
“New data at ESMO, including three Presidential Symposia from three pivotal trials, reflect the strength and depth of Merck’s industry-leading oncology portfolio and pipeline,” said Marjorie Green, senior vice president and head of oncology global clinical development, Merck Research Laboratories.
'We are proud to share Phase 3 data for the first time from intismeran and sac-TMT, alongside new research from our oncology portfolio, reflecting our commitment to advancing research across a range of cancer types."
The headline presentations will feature first-time results from three Phase 3 trials:
INTerpath-001: Intismeran in melanoma. Merck will present data from the pivotal Phase 3 trial evaluating intismeran autogene (intismeran; V940/mRNA-4157), an investigational mRNA-based individualized neoantigen therapy, in combination with KEYTRUDA as adjuvant treatment for patients with completely resected stage IIB-IV melanoma.
TroFuse-005: Sac-TMT in endometrial cancer. The trial evaluates sacituzumab tirumotecan, an investigational TROP2-directed antibody-drug conjugate, in patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer whose disease progressed after platinum-based chemotherapy and treatment with a PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitor.
KEYNOTE-C93: KEYTRUDA in endometrial cancer. Merck will report data from the Phase 3 trial evaluating KEYTRUDA monotherapy as a first-line treatment for patients with mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR) advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer who have not previously received systemic chemotherapy or whose disease recurred after prior adjuvant therapy.
Beyond the three late-breaking presentations, Merck will showcase additional Phase 3 data on sac-TMT in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
The programme will also include final analysis results from the Phase 3 LITESPARK-011 study of WELIREG (belzutifan), Merck’s first-in-class oral hypoxia-inducible factor-2 alpha (HIF-2α) inhibitor, in combination with LENVIMA (lenvatinib), an oral multiple receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor discovered by Eisai.
The study evaluates the combination in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma with a clear cell component following treatment with a PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitor.
With three pivotal-trial presentations and more than 90 additional abstracts on the agenda, Merck’s ESMO 2026 programme will span investigational therapies, established oncology medicines and clinical research across a broad range of cancer types.
