Merck’s Sac-TMT Hits Endpoints in First Global Phase 3 Trial
Daily Biopharma Digest — May 19, 2026
Merck reported positive Phase 3 results for Sac-TMT in endometrial cancer, marking the first global win for its Kelun-Biotech-partnered TROP2 ADC and a key milestone in its post-Keytruda strategy. The TroFuse-005 trial of sacituzumab tirumotecan met both overall survival and progression-free survival endpoints at an early scheduled interim analysis. Sac-TMT is the first of 17 late-stage studies for the asset; RBC Capital Markets analyst Trung Huynh projects Sac-TMT sales of $2.6 billion by 2030 and $7.2 billion by 2034, positioning Merck to challenge Gilead’s Trodelvy and the AstraZeneca/Daiichi Sankyo-partnered Datroway. Separately, Relay Therapeutics’ zovegalisib achieved a 60% response rate (12 of 20 evaluable patients) in vascular malformations, more than five times Novartis’ Vijoice (alpelisib) benchmark of 11%; Relay shares rose 9% to $13.29. Full-Life Technologies raised $150 million ($110M Series D + $40M) for its radiotherapy platform, while BioMarin’s recently-acquired Inozyme-derived ENPP1 deficiency drug missed a key endpoint. TrumpRx expanded generic offerings via partnerships with Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drugs, Amazon Pharmacy, and GoodRx.
What to Watch
Merck and Kelun present detailed first-line non-small cell lung cancer Sac-TMT data at ASCO (May 29–June 2, 2026), with a Chinese NMPA filing already under review for the NSCLC indication. Relay’s accelerated approval pathway for zovegalisib hinges on additional ReInspire data and forthcoming FDA feedback — potentially aided by Vinay Prasad’s recent departure from CBER. BioMarin must decide whether to redesign the ENPP1 program, pursue biomarker-based accelerated approval, or write down the Inozyme acquisition value. UCB’s Bimzelx (bimekizumab) head-to-head superiority over AbbVie’s Skyrizi (risankizumab) in psoriatic arthritis could reshape prescribing and payer negotiations. Full-Life’s $150M raise positions it as either an independent platform scaler or a Big Pharma acquisition target in radioligand therapy.
