Friday, January 9, 2015

Mr. Frazier -- In San Francisco On Monday Afternoon -- In A Speaking Role


In an annual tradition stretching back well over a decade, the CEO of Merck will speak on Monday at the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco. . . you may listen in, and view his slide deck.

I expect he'll mention the fact that head to head trials are getting underway in Liberia, on the GSK v. Merck/NewLink Genetics Ebola vaccine candidates, and that Merck's revolutionary immuno-boosting cancer therapy, Keytruda® is enjoying a record launch -- but being chased neck and neck (and perhaps even overtaken), by BMS's Opdivo® (though he likely won't admit to that last part). From Merck's press release, then:

. . . .Merck. . . announced today that Kenneth C. Frazier, Merck’s chairman and chief executive officer, is scheduled to present at the 33rd Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco on Jan. 12, 2015 at 4:00 p.m. PST (7:00 p.m. EST). Investors, analysts, members of the media and the general public are invited to listen to a live audio webcast. . . .


The selection criteria are being laid out in Liberia as I write this. . . patients in the head to head Ebola vaccine candidates trial may begin receiving doses -- by February 1. That trial will involve three groups of about 9,000 people each -- one will get GSK's shot, another will get Merck's and a third will get a placebo. Stay snuggly -- very frigid, around much of the nation, still. . . Onward, we go.

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