Key move for Merck

Article Excerpt

MERCK & CO. INC., $93.26, is a #1 Power Buy for 2022. The drugmaker (New York symbol MRK; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average) (www.merck.com; Shares outstanding: 2.5 billion; Market cap: $239.7 billion; Dividend yield: 3.0%) has now exercised an option to jointly develop and potentially sell an mRNA-based cancer vaccine along with Moderna (symbol MRNA on Nasdaq). The vaccine, mRNA-4157, is being tested in conjunction with Merck’s blockbuster cancer immunotherapy Keytruda, in a mid-stage trial for patients with high-risk melanoma. Merck will pay Moderna $250 million as agreed upon under a 2016 deal. The innovative vaccine is designed to generate T-cells, a key part of the body’s immune response, based on the mutational signature of an individual patient’s tumour. The vaccine will be given to people post-surgery to prevent the tumour from returning, and it is tailored to each patient. That means no two shots will be the same. Merck & Co. is a #1 Power Buy for 2022. 2022…