Merck Partners with Google Cloud in ~$1B Deal to Build AI-Enabled Enterprise Platform

Shots: Merck partnered with Google Cloud in a multi-year deal worth up to $1B to deploy an AI-driven agentic platform across R&D, manufacturing, commercial, and corporate functions The collaboration will integrate advanced AI tools, incl. Gemini Enterprise, to enhance productivity, digitize data, & support Merck’s global workforce of ~75,000 employees The partnership aims to accelerate…

ByRidhi RastogiApril 23, 2026

NEWS

Merck Reports the US FDA Approval of Idvynso for Virologically Suppressed HIV-1 Infection

Shots: The US FDA approved MSD's Idvynso (100mg doravirine/0.25mg islatravir; QD, PO) to treat HIV-1 in virologically suppressed adults (HIV-1 RNA <50 copies/mL) as a switch option for those on stable regimens with no prior treatment failure or doravirine resistance Approval was supported by the P-III trials, incl. Trial 052 (n=513), where pts switched from…

ByRidhi RastogiApril 22, 2026

NEWS

Daiichi Sankyo and Merck Receives FDA’s Priority Review for Ifinatamab Deruxtecan (I-DXd) to Treat ES-SCLC

Shots: FDA has accepted BLA for I-DXd under the RTOR & Project Orbis program, granting priority review for the treatment of adults with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) whose disease progressed on or after Pt-based CT (PDUFA: Oct 10, 2026) BLA was based on the P-II (IDeate-Lung01) study assessing I-DXd (IV, Q3W) in…

ByRidhi RastogiApril 14, 2026

TOP 20

Top 20 Biopharma Companies of 2026

Shots: The biopharma industry is a multi-hundred-billion-dollar market, with a projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.6%, the global biopharma market is expected to reach $1.41T by 2034. Eli Lilly and Co. ranked first with $65.17B, followed by Pfizer ($61.19B) and AbbVie ($61.16B), reflecting strong market concentration among large-cap innovators with diversified, high-value portfolios …

ByPrince GiriApril 10, 2026

MAGAZINE

PharmaShots Magazine-April-2026 Edition

Shots: AI is redefining compliance from reactive to predictive, as this April edition highlights how AI-powered systems are transforming regulatory oversight into a continuous, real-time, and data-driven function, enabling early risk detection, automated audits, and smarter regulatory collaboration across the pharma value chain. Strategic dealmaking and AI partnerships shape industry momentum, with March witnessing high-value…

ByAditya SinghApril 9, 2026

NEWS

Merck Initiates P-IIb/III (MALBEC) Trial of MK-8748 for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Shots: Merck initiates the P-IIb/III (MALBEC) trial assessing MK-8748 (Tiespectus/EYE201) for the treatment of neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (NVAMD) The trial will assess the safety & efficacy of two intravitreal dose levels of MK-8748 vs aflibercept (2mg), with Q4W dosing initially for 3mos., then Q8W through Wk. 48, followed by individualized dosing intervals, with…

ByRidhi RastogiApril 3, 2026

NEWS

Merck Receives the EC Approval for Keytruda, Plus CT ± Avastin to Treat PD-L1+ Pt-Resistant Ovarian Carcinoma

Shots: The EC has approved Keytruda/Keytruda SC + paclitaxel ± Avastin for the treatment of adults with PD-L1+ (CPS ≥1) Pt-resistant epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal carcinoma, who have received 1 or 2 prior systemic therapies, in all 30 EEA member states Approval was based on the P-III (KEYNOTE-B96/ENGOT-ov65) trial data assessing Keytruda…

ByRidhi RastogiApril 2, 2026

NEWS

Merck Signs ~$838M AI-Driven Antibody Discovery Deal with Infinimmune

Shots: Infinimmune has partnered with Merck to discover & develop antibody candidates against multiple undisclosed targets selected by Merck using Infinimmune’s human-first antibody discovery platform As per the deal, Infinimmune will use its Anthrobody discovery platform & Glimpse antibody language model to discover & optimize antibodies from human immune repertoires, enabling large-scale B-cell screening to…

ByRidhi RastogiApril 1, 2026

NEWS

Merck Reports P-III (CORALreef AddOn) Trial Data on Enlicitide Decanoate in Hypercholesterolemia

Shots: Trial assessed enlicitide (QD, PO) vs non-statin therapies (PO) added to background statins in adults with hypercholesterolemia & ASCVD risk or history, meeting its 1EP with a 64.6% LDL-C reduction at 8wks. & reductions of 56.7% vs bempedoic acid, 36% vs ezetimibe, & 28.1% vs their combination Trial also showed 8wk. reductions in ApoB…

ByRidhi RastogiMarch 31, 2026

NEWS

Merck to Acquire Terns Pharmaceuticals for ~$6.7B

Shots: Merck has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Terns, incl. its asset TERN-701 asset, expanding its oncology pipeline As per the deal, Merck will acquire Terns for $53/share in cash, representing a total equity value of ~$6.7B (~$5.7B net of acquired cash); closing is expected in Q2’26 TERN-701 is being evaluated in the…

ByRidhi RastogiMarch 25, 2026

Merck Partners with Google Cloud in ~$1B Deal to Build AI-Enabled Enterprise Platform

Merck Reports the US FDA Approval of Idvynso for Virologically Suppressed HIV-1 Infection

Daiichi Sankyo and Merck Receives FDA’s Priority Review for Ifinatamab Deruxtecan (I-DXd) to Treat ES-SCLC

Top 20 Biopharma Companies of 2026

PharmaShots Magazine-April-2026 Edition

Merck Initiates P-IIb/III (MALBEC) Trial of MK-8748 for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Merck Receives the EC Approval for Keytruda, Plus CT ± Avastin to Treat PD-L1+ Pt-Resistant Ovarian Carcinoma

Merck Signs ~$838M AI-Driven Antibody Discovery Deal with Infinimmune

Merck Reports P-III (CORALreef AddOn) Trial Data on Enlicitide Decanoate in Hypercholesterolemia

Merck to Acquire Terns Pharmaceuticals for ~$6.7B

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