When Robert Davis stepped into the CEO role at Merck & Co. in 2021, the pharma giant was embracing a new chapter. With legendary chief executive Kenneth Frazier stepping aside, Merck was already beginning to transform, having spun off the women’s health and biosimilars company Organon and engineering a deep pipeline of new products that could carry the company into the future.

Perhaps the most pressing challenge for Davis since taking the reins is the impending patent loss for Keytruda. That hammer won’t fall until 2028, but more than a third of the company’s sales come from the bestselling cancer drug, and Merck will have a massive revenue hole to fill.

Today, we’re exploring how the Keytruda succession plan could be bolstered with new data in subcutaneous injection. By providing a more convenient patient experience and renewed exclusivity beyond 2028, the new delivery method could be what Merck needs to ensure that sales don’t fade away by the end of the decade. 

We’re also looking at a more recent shakeup for a Big Pharma C-suite: Pfizer’s new head of R&D. Will the effort to instill more confidence in the company’s pipeline be enough to keep shareholders happy? Time will tell.

Thanks for reading.