Merck advances cancer innovation by expanding role of Keytruda across new tumor

The company will present new data from across over 20 cancer types and multiple treatment settings at European Society for Medical Oncology Congress 2025

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, announced it will present new data from more than 100 abstracts across over 20 cancer types and multiple treatment settings at the upcoming European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2025 in Berlin, Germany, from October 17–21.

These presentations highlight Merck’s continued leadership and commitment to advancing innovative oncology research across a broad and differentiated portfolio.

The data underscore Merck’s progress in expanding the role of Keytruda (pembrolizumab) across new tumor types and earlier stages of disease, while also demonstrating the strength of its growing oncology pipeline, including multiple investigational antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs).

“Our presentations at ESMO 2025 reinforce the continued impact of Keytruda in certain cancers and reflect the momentum of our rapidly advancing pipeline,” said Dr. Marjorie Green, senior vice president and head of oncology, global clinical development, Merck Research Laboratories. “We are proud that several of our studies, including those in bladder, ovarian, and lung cancers, have been selected for discussion during Presidential Symposium sessions, emphasizing the clinical significance of our data.”

At ESMO 2025, Merck will share pivotal findings across its oncology portfolio, including Keytruda, Lenvima (lenvatinib) in collaboration with Eisai, WELIREG (belzutifan), and the company’s subcutaneous formulation, Keytruda QLEX (pembrolizumab and berahyaluronidase alfa-pmph).

Highlights include positive first-time data from the Phase 3 KEYNOTE-905/EV-303 trial, evaluating Keytruda plus Padcev (enfortumab vedotin-ejfv) as a perioperative treatment for cisplatin-ineligible patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Additionally, new findings from the Phase 3 Keytruda -B96 trial will be presented, evaluating Keytruda in combination with paclitaxel with or without bevacizumab for platinum-resistant recurrent ovarian cancer. Both studies have been selected for inclusion in ESMO Presidential Symposium I, underscoring their clinical importance.

Merck will also present long-term follow-up data demonstrating Keytruda’s durable benefits across both earlier-stage and metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), reaffirming its foundational role in the treatment of this disease. These include five-year results from the Keytruda -671 trial in early-stage NSCLC and ten-year and eight-year follow-up data from multiple studies evaluating Keytruda monotherapy in locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC.

Further updates include long-term follow-up results from the Keynote-775/Study 309 trial assessing Keytruda plus Lenvima in advanced endometrial cancer, and new findings from the LITESPARK-015 trial evaluating WELIREG, Merck’s hypoxia-inducible factor-2 alpha (HIF-2α) inhibitor, for patients with advanced pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma. Additionally, patient-reported outcomes from the MK-3475A-F11 trial will provide insights into patient preferences for subcutaneous versus intravenous administration of Keytruda.

Merck’s pipeline data at ESMO 2025 will highlight the company’s strategic expansion into antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) research. The company will present results for multiple investigational ADCs, including raludotatug deruxtecan (R-DXd), a CDH6-directed ADC, and ifinatamab deruxtecan (I-DXd), a B7-H3-directed ADC, both discovered by Daiichi Sankyo. Additionally, several studies will showcase sacituzumab tirumotecan (sac-TMT), a TROP2-directed ADC being developed in collaboration with Kelun-Biotech, across lung, breast, cervical, and prostate cancers.

“From pioneering immune-oncology approaches to advancing next-generation ADCs, we are committed to driving meaningful progress for patients living with cancer,” added Dr. Green. “The breadth of data at ESMO 2025 reflects the strength of our science and our unwavering focus on improving patient outcomes globally.”