Halozyme court order blocks Merck Keytruda in eight European markets

By Connor Hart Halozyme Therapeutics said a court found Merck to be infringing upon one of its patents and granted an injunction to halt the launch of a Merck cancer treatment in several European markets. Halozyme said Wednesday that the specialized Dutch patent court of the Hague ordered Merck to refrain from manufacturing and selling Keytruda SC--an under-the-skin injection version of the company's blockbuster cancer drug--in Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland and the Netherlands. The court also rejected Merck's arguments that the Halozyme patent in question was invalid, the company added. "We're very pleased the Dutch court recognized the validity and infringement of Halozyme's MDASE patent EP622 and granted an injunction halting Merck's launch of Keytruda SC in multiple European markets," Halozyme Chief Legal Officer Mark Snyder said. Merck didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Halozyme noted that patients who want to use Keytruda will still have access to the IV version of the drug, which is not covered by Halozyme's patent or the court's injunction order. Halozyme previously sued Merck in Germany, and the company said it was granted a preliminary injunction late last year to stop the launch of Keytruda SC in the country. Halozyme has also sued Merck for patent infringement in U.S. federal district court in New Jersey. Write to Connor Hart at connor.hart@wsj.com (END) Dow Jones Newswires October 07, 2026 09:27 ET (13:27 GMT) Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. The statements in this document shall not be considered as an objective or independent explanation of the matters. Please note that this document (a) has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research, and (b) is not subject to any prohibition on dealing ahead of the dissemination or publication of investment research.