Figgs--I sure don't want to sound like a Merck sales rep. While Merck recognized the value of Keytruda early--and saved a lot of lives--now they are just using their fiscal muscle and reputation in oncology circles to dominate. I dislike that.
Merck is milking Keytruda for all they can get, starting with Qlex and then trialing other drugs with Keytruda to extend patent protection in new combinations (sac-TMT) and extend the franchise out into new indications. I've posted before about the mind-boggling billions they have spent on oncology acquisitions. I see they have 90 posters or presentations at ESMO! And like I suspected, the Bio/Pharma Press is happy to ride along and front the Merck/Moderna cancer vaccine (which is prescribed in combination with Keytruda in the melanoma trial). Check out the BioSpace preview: "Merck-Moderna-Summit-Akeso-ADCs to headline ESMO." They do mention Summit/Akeso... but as the "Keytruda killer." which is a roundabout way to bring the conversation back to the dominant player in oncology--Merck.
I am hopeful the Bio/Pharma Press will begin to cover Cytodyn and leronlimab... perhaps even soon, at this ESMO. But I can assure you that they will point out the small numbers of patients in the Clover trial, and the immature data when it comes to PFS, OS, and the ORR scans. And they will point out that while promising, the predictive value of ctDNA declines is not sanctioned by the FDA (though Dr Kasi and Mr Aniline might have something to say about that, later today). But come Jan 2027 at ASCO, however, the data will be mature. And perhaps by that time there will be data on the real "Keytruda killer"--evidence on the prime and pair paradigm with leronlimab and an ICI... Irrefutable evidence and all that.
The value of presenting a poster at ESMO this year is to get the word out about leronlimab attenuating the tumor micro-environment, and prove it works in a cold tumor like MSS mCRC. The BioPharma Press may or not pay attention, but the oncology community certainly will. The big question--will that be enough to secure some kind of partnership? I sure hope so... But I don't know about what happens in the C-suites or the boardrooms, so I have no predictions to offer. Best leave that to the more knowledgable members of this board that have perhaps rubbed elbows with some of these folks.
Just because apparently someone cares, I did consult AI on Merck's presentations this year at ESMO, which is where the "90 posters and presentations" comes from. Otherwise, I'll take credit for all the other ideas and observations noted above. With help from actually reading the article below:
https://www.biospace.com/drug-development/mer...-esmo-2026?
Merck is milking Keytruda for all they can get, starting with Qlex and then trialing other drugs with Keytruda to extend patent protection in new combinations (sac-TMT) and extend the franchise out into new indications. I've posted before about the mind-boggling billions they have spent on oncology acquisitions. I see they have 90 posters or presentations at ESMO! And like I suspected, the Bio/Pharma Press is happy to ride along and front the Merck/Moderna cancer vaccine (which is prescribed in combination with Keytruda in the melanoma trial). Check out the BioSpace preview: "Merck-Moderna-Summit-Akeso-ADCs to headline ESMO." They do mention Summit/Akeso... but as the "Keytruda killer." which is a roundabout way to bring the conversation back to the dominant player in oncology--Merck.
I am hopeful the Bio/Pharma Press will begin to cover Cytodyn and leronlimab... perhaps even soon, at this ESMO. But I can assure you that they will point out the small numbers of patients in the Clover trial, and the immature data when it comes to PFS, OS, and the ORR scans. And they will point out that while promising, the predictive value of ctDNA declines is not sanctioned by the FDA (though Dr Kasi and Mr Aniline might have something to say about that, later today). But come Jan 2027 at ASCO, however, the data will be mature. And perhaps by that time there will be data on the real "Keytruda killer"--evidence on the prime and pair paradigm with leronlimab and an ICI... Irrefutable evidence and all that.
The value of presenting a poster at ESMO this year is to get the word out about leronlimab attenuating the tumor micro-environment, and prove it works in a cold tumor like MSS mCRC. The BioPharma Press may or not pay attention, but the oncology community certainly will. The big question--will that be enough to secure some kind of partnership? I sure hope so... But I don't know about what happens in the C-suites or the boardrooms, so I have no predictions to offer. Best leave that to the more knowledgable members of this board that have perhaps rubbed elbows with some of these folks.
Just because apparently someone cares, I did consult AI on Merck's presentations this year at ESMO, which is where the "90 posters and presentations" comes from. Otherwise, I'll take credit for all the other ideas and observations noted above. With help from actually reading the article below:
https://www.biospace.com/drug-development/mer...-esmo-2026?
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