Norges Bank, Norway’s central bank, purchased approximately 37.98 million shares of Merck. This stake is valued at roughly $4.0 billion. The investment gives the bank a 1.53% ownership position in the pharmaceutical company.
The FDA recently granted Breakthrough Therapy designation to Merck’s investigational lung cancer drug, calderasib. This treatment is used in combination with Keytruda. The designation aims to accelerate the development and regulatory review process for the therapy.