# Merck & Co.

Type: Company (MRK)

Source: Healthcare Intelligence Brief — https://gethealthbrief.com/entity/merck-co
Canonical HTML page: https://gethealthbrief.com/entity/merck-co

## Timeline

- **2028**: Keytruda Patent Cliff — Merck faces the loss of exclusivity for its top-selling cancer immunotherapy.
- **2026-07-16**: FDA approves Merck's Lipfendra — The FDA approves Lipfendra, the first oral PCSK9 inhibitor, under the expedited review program for high-risk statin-treated patients.
- **2026**: Expected Closing — Anticipated completion of the acquisition following regulatory reviews.
- **2026-05**: Marty Makary resigns as FDA Commissioner — Former FDA chief Dr. Marty Makary, who created the expedited drug review pathway, resigns amid political pressure.
- **2026-03-25**: Acquisition Announcement — Merck announces definitive agreement to buy Terns for $6.7 billion.
- **2024**: Clinical Progress — Terns Pharmaceuticals advances TERN-701 through early-stage clinical trials for CML.

## Recent coverage (4 stories)

### Oncologists Worldwide Cut Opdivo Doses by up to 92%, Defying FDA's 1-Year Rule
2026-08-20 09:12:50 · Sentiment: Negative · Impact: 7/10 · Sources: 2

A growing movement of oncologists is testing lower or shorter courses of checkpoint inhibitors like Opdivo and Keytruda, challenging the FDA's fixed one-year protocol. For health systems, this raises urgent questions about clinical decision support, patient safety, and value-based oncology as real-world evidence mounts.
Full story: https://gethealthbrief.com/story/fda-cancer-drug-dosing-challenge-health-systems

### Merck's Lipfendra: 59% LDL Cut with First Oral PCSK9 Pill Approved
2026-07-16 23:20:10 · Sentiment: Positive · Impact: 8/10 · Sources: 7

The FDA approval of Merck's Lipfendra introduces an oral alternative to injectable PCSK9 inhibitors, promising easier patient access and potential cost savings for health systems managing high cholesterol.
Full story: https://gethealthbrief.com/story/merck-lipfendra-oral-pcsk9-pill-59-percent-ldl-cut-health-systems

### Merck Bolsters Oncology Pipeline with $6.7B Acquisition of Terns Pharmaceuticals
2026-03-25 19:17:39 · Sentiment: Positive · Impact: 8/10 · Sources: 2

Merck has reached a definitive agreement to acquire Terns Pharmaceuticals for $6.7 billion, securing a promising Phase 2 leukemia treatment. The cash deal is a strategic move to diversify Merck's oncology portfolio as it prepares for the 2028 patent expiration of its blockbuster drug Keytruda.
Full story: https://gethealthbrief.com/story/merck-acquires-terns-pharmaceuticals-leukemia-deal

### 15 States Sue Trump Administration Over Rollback of Childhood Vaccine Schedule
2026-02-25 13:00:11 · Sentiment: Negative · Impact: 7/10 · Sources: 2

A coalition of 15 Democratic-led states has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration to block changes that reduce the recommended childhood vaccine schedule. The plaintiffs argue that the policy shift ignores scientific consensus and poses a significant risk of infectious disease outbreaks across the country.
Full story: https://gethealthbrief.com/story/states-sue-trump-administration-vaccine-schedule-rollback

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This page is a machine-readable summary. Sentiment measures the directional read of each development for this entity, not the tone of the reporting; impact weights consequence, not syndication reach. See https://gethealthbrief.com/guides/methodology for the full editorial methodology.