The immunotherapy drug, first approved in 2014, can now be used as a first line treatment for patients with metatastic non-small cell lung cancer who have high levels of PD-L1, a protein that makes individuals more receptive to immunotherapy treatments.
Seamus Fernandez, an analyst at Leerink, expects the approval to cement Kenilworth, N.J.-based Merck’s position as a leader in first line lung cancer treatments for the next 12 to 18 months, according to the report.
Annual sales of Keytruda are now pegged to hit $8.1 billion in 2021, based on several forecasts compiled by Thomson Reuters, a New York City-based information firm.
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