ASCO: Merck's Keytruda doubles time to disease progression in certain colorectal cancer patients

The results are out, and they’re practice-changing: Merck’s Keytruda can double the time to disease worsening in patients with certain types of colorectal cancer.

The immuno-oncology star kept cancer at bay for 16.5 months in previously untreated patients with microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) colorectal cancer that had either spread to other parts of the body or couldn’t be surgically removed, Merck said ahead of the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s (ASCO) virtual annual meeting.