R&D
Merck to showcase 100+ oncology studies at 2026 ASCO meeting
Highlighting KEYTRUDA & expanding cancer pipeline
- By IPP Bureau
| May 14, 2026
Global pharma powerhouse Merck is set to present new data from more than 100 abstracts spanning over 25 cancer types at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, May 29 to June 2.
The company says the findings underscore the long-term impact of KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab), its flagship anti-PD-1 therapy, alongside rapid progress across its broader oncology pipeline. The presentations are expected to reinforce Merck’s position in cancer research and its push into next-generation treatment approaches across multiple tumor types and disease stages.
"During ASCO, we will present data that showcase the strong momentum in our oncology pipeline, including long-term data for intismeran autogene, our investigational individualized neoantigen therapy (INT),” said Marjorie Green, senior vice president and head of oncology global clinical development, Merck Research Laboratories.
“We look forward to sharing new research for our oncology medicines and novel treatment approaches, such as our INT and antibody-drug conjugates, which may help address significant unmet medical needs for patients living with cancer.”
Among the key updates Merck plans to present are five-year follow-up results from the Phase 2b KEYNOTE-942 trial evaluating intismeran autogene in combination with KEYTRUDA in high-risk melanoma patients after complete resection.
The company will also report final results from the Phase 3 KEYNOTE-522 study, which assessed KEYTRUDA with chemotherapy as a pre-operative treatment and continued as monotherapy after surgery in patients with high-risk early-stage triple-negative breast cancer.
In lung cancer, Merck will present data from the Phase 3 OptiTROP-Lung05 trial conducted in China and led by Kelun-Biotech, evaluating sac-TMT in combination with KEYTRUDA in advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
