Merck, Keytruda'nın gücüyle ilgili beklenenden daha iyi ikinci çeyrek sonuçları paylaştı

Merck posts better-than-expected second-quarter results on Keytruda strength

Tue, August 4, 2026 at 1:35 PM GMT+3 2 min read

• MRK -1.87%

Aug 4 (Reuters) - Merck reported higher-than-expected second-quarter sales on Tuesday and raised its full-year revenue forecast on the strength of its top-selling cancer treatment Keytruda.

The ‌U.S. drugmaker reported quarterly revenue of $16.61 billion, up 5% from a year ‌earlier and above analysts' average estimate of $16.36 billion, according to LSEG data.

Merck reported a loss for the quarter ​due to a $5.7 billion charge from its acquisition of cancer drug developer Terns Pharmaceuticals.

The company's reported loss in the quarter was 13 cents per share, including the $2.31 per share charge from the deal. Analysts had expected an adjusted loss per share of 27 cents.

Sales of ‌immunotherapy Keytruda, the world's top-selling ⁠prescription medicine, rose 5% to $8.37 billion in the quarter, including $463 million from its newer subcutaneous formulation, Keytruda QLEX. That exceeded analysts' estimates of $8.07 ⁠billion.

Stronger-than-expected QLEX uptake contributed to the Keytruda beat, Chief Financial Officer Caroline Litchfield said in an interview.

"We're at double-digit of QLEX as a portion of the total business in the United ​States, and ​we are very much on a path ​that takes us to the 30% ‌to 40% adoption by the end of 2027," she said.

Gardasil, Merck's cancer-preventing HPV vaccine, generated sales of $1.17 billion, slightly above the $1.15 billion analyst consensus.

Sales of its measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox vaccines fell 3% to $592 million in the quarter, below analysts' estimates of $608 million. The company said the decline was due primarily to lower U.S. demand.

"The data that ‌we access suggest that the overall vaccines market ​in the United States has declined," Litchfield said, adding ​that the mix of vaccines the ​company makes is faring quite well within that declining market.

Animal health ‌sales rose 8% to $1.78 billion, slightly ahead ​of Wall Street projections ​of $1.75 billion.

Merck raised its 2026 revenue forecast to $66.3 billion to $67.3 billion, from a previous range of $65.8 billion to $67.0 billion. The midpoint is slightly above the LSEG ​consensus forecast of about $66.8 billion.

The ‌company now expects 2026 adjusted earnings of $2.66 to $2.76 per share, including charges ​related to its acquisitions of Cidara Therapeutics and Terns Pharmaceuticals.

(Reporting by Michael Erman ​in New Jersey; Editing by Bill Berkrot)