Is Gilead hoping that Merck would want to combine

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Is Gilead hoping that Merck would want to combine with SG to extend Keytruda's patent and thereby also give Gilead access to every mTNBC PD-L1 positive tumor that Keytruda is approved to treat?

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Merck couldn't get that patent extension unless it was a novel drug consisting of a combination of both. That seems unlikely. It could be Gilead is trying to improve results thereby staving off any competitors. But leronlimab also downregulates PD-1/PD-L1 in addition to everything else. So Keytruda would still fall by the wayside.