Oncology and Immuno-Oncology
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC funds a broad oncology portfolio centered on immune checkpoint inhibition and combination regimens across solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. Its studies include disease areas such as non-small cell lung cancer, melanoma, bladder cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, gastric and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma, and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
- Pembrolizumab in advanced and resectable cancers
- Triple-negative breast cancer and hormone receptor-low breast cancer
- Urothelial carcinoma and muscle-invasive bladder cancer
- Classical Hodgkin lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
- Biomarker-defined solid tumors including MSI-H and TMB-H disease
Research also extends to perioperative, adjuvant, and metastatic cancer settings, with interest in KRAS-mutant, PD-L1–expressing, and DNA repair–deficient tumors.
Viral Prevention and Infectious Diseases
The sponsor maintains active programs in vaccine development and infectious disease prevention, including studies in human papillomavirus, respiratory syncytial virus, COVID-19, HIV-1, and pneumococcal disease. Its work includes prevention of infection-related cancers and respiratory illness in children and adults.
- 9-valent HPV vaccine and prevention of HPV-related disease
- RSV prophylaxis in infants and young children
- COVID-19 antiviral research
- HIV-1 treatment and HIV prevention
- Antibacterial therapy for nosocomial pneumonia
Additional infectious disease interest includes fungal infection and pneumococcal infection.
Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Vascular Disease
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC supports trials in cardiovascular disease and pulmonary vascular disorders, with emphasis on heart failure, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, hypercholesterolemia, and pulmonary arterial hypertension. The portfolio also includes studies in related hemodynamic and functional outcomes.
- Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction
- Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction
- Pulmonary arterial hypertension
- Hyperlipidemia and heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia
- ASCVD and vascular thrombosis prevention
Research in this area also touches on pulmonary hypertension associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and exercise capacity in pulmonary vascular disease.
Neurology, Autoimmune Disease, and Inflammatory Disorders
The sponsor funds research in neurodegenerative disease and immune-mediated inflammatory conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriatic arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis. It also studies hidradenitis suppurativa and vitiligo.
- Alzheimer’s disease dementia
- Rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Psoriatic arthritis and axial spondyloarthritis
- Non-segmental vitiligo and hidradenitis suppurativa
Other neurological interests include narcolepsy and broader central nervous system disease research.
Metabolic, Renal, and Rare Disease Research
Its non-oncology portfolio also includes metabolic disease, renal disease, and selected rare genetic disorders. Areas of interest include type 2 diabetes mellitus, weight management, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, chronic kidney disease–related conditions, and prostate cancer-adjacent endocrine and metabolic settings.
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus
- Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis
- Renal cell carcinoma and von Hippel-Lindau disease–associated tumors
- Myeloproliferative neoplasms
- PIK3CA-related overgrowth spectrum and Proteus syndrome
Trials also address familial hypercholesterolemia, essential thrombocythemia, and other rare oncologic and non-oncologic syndromes.
