Merck's Keytruda puts heat on Pfizer, Merck KGaA's Bavencio with new Merkel cell OK

Merck’s latest Keytruda approval isn’t necessarily a huge one for the New Jersey drugmaker when it comes to sales. But it’s a big deal for Pfizer and Merck KGaA, maker of rival drug Bavencio.

Wednesday, the FDA green-lighted Merck’s immuno-oncology blockbuster in rare skin cancer Merkel cell carcinoma, an area where Bavencio had previously held immuno-oncology’s only approval.