MRK · News · 20260908N

Keytruda Patent Expiration Outlook

Merck & Co., Inc. · 2026-09-08 · Importance 50 · Surprise 24 · In source text

Keytruda remains Merck’s principal growth driver, supporting recent sales momentum and investor interest. Third-party reporting warns that biosimilar competition could intensify around the drug’s expected 2028 patent cliff, creating a material threat to Merck’s oncology franchise. Merck’s pipeline and newer products are being positioned as potential offsets to the eventual erosion of Keytruda sales.

Key facts

Impact estimates

metricdirectionstageexpectedbasis
revenuenegativecontingent—Reports warn that Keytruda's biosimilar countdown is getting louder and reference a 2028 patent-related timeline (2028 patent cliff).