• European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has adopted a positive opinion recommending Merck & Co Inc (NYSE: MRK) Keytruda in melanoma setting.

• The opinion covers Keytruda as a monotherapy adjuvant treatment for adults and adolescents aged 12 years and older with stage IIB or IIC melanoma and who have undergone complete resection.

• Additionally, the CHMP recommended expanding the indications for Keytruda in advanced (unresectable or metastatic) melanoma and stage III melanoma (as adjuvant treatment following complete resection) to include adolescent patients.

• The positive opinion was granted based on Phase 3 KEYNOTE-716 trial results, which demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in recurrence-free survival with Keytruda compared to placebo.

• Earlier this year, Merck reported that KEYNOTE-716 also met its key secondary endpoint of distant metastasis-free survival.

• The European Commission will now review the recommendation, and a final decision is expected in Q2 or Q3 of 2022.

• Price Action: MRK shares are up 1.08% at $93.08 during the market session on the last check Friday.

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