Merck's Keytruda Gets Two Bladder Cancer Approvals From FDA

Merck & Co. Inc. said Thursday late afternoon that its key cancer drug Keytruda has received two approvals for bladder cancer from the Food and Drug Administration. Keytruda has been approved for initial treatment of a type of bladder cancer called locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma, if patients are ineligible for cisplatin-containing chemotherapy. The drug has also been approved for use if initial treatment doesn't work for patients with the cancer whose disease progresses during or after chemotherapy. Keytruda, which is also approved for lung cancer, is being developed for more than 30 tumor types in nearly 500 clinical trials, according to Merck. Merck stock was inactive in postmarket trade Thursday. Shares of the company have declined 2.3% over the last three months, compared with a 0.6% rise in the S&P 500 .