Merck shifts COVID-19 focus to therapeutics after discontinuing vaccines

With Merck’s two COVID-19 vaccines falling short of the mark, the U.S. pharma is shifting its focus to late-stage readouts this half for therapeutics to treat the coronavirus.

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) said Monday that it would discontinue development of COVID-19 vaccines V590 and V591 after Phase I data showed both generated inferior immune responses relative to convalescent plasma or other already authorized vaccines...