Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) is one of the 10 Undervalued Counter Cyclical Stocks to Buy Now.
On June 12, 2026, Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) announced that the U.S
Food and Drug Administration approved KEYTRUDA and KEYTRUDA QLEX, each in combination with WELIREG, for the adjuvant treatment of adult patients with renal cell carcinoma with a clear cell component at intermediate-high or high risk of recurrence following nephrectomy, or following nephrectomy and resection of metastatic lesions. Merck said the approvals represent the first approval for WELIREG in earlier-stage ccRCC and the first approvals for PD-1 and HIF-2 alpha inhibitor combination regimens. The approvals were based on results from the Phase 3 LITESPARK-022 trial, which enrolled 1,841 patients.
Merck said KEYTRUDA in combination with WELIREG significantly improved disease-free survival, reducing the risk of disease recurrence, metastasis, or death by 28% compared with KEYTRUDA plus placebo. The estimated 24-month disease-free survival rate was 81% with KEYTRUDA plus WELIREG, compared with 74% with KEYTRUDA plus placebo. Median disease-free survival was not reached in either arm, while overall survival results were not yet mature at the interim analysis.