Catch up on the essentials
- Analysts expect Merck to report third-quarter revenue of $17.23 billion, down 0.2% from a year earlier, and earnings of $2.12 per share, down 17.8%, according to a Zacks preview based on consensus estimates.
- Analysts forecast Keytruda sales of $7.46 billion for the quarter, an 8.4% year-over-year decline, with international sales estimated at $3.30 billion, up 1%.
- Lipfendra was preparing for its first full quarter on the market, with access and adoption expected to develop gradually.
Selected from this article · 2026-10-26
Read on for the full pictureForecasts point to lower quarterly earnings
Analysts expect Merck to report third-quarter revenue of $17.23 billion, down 0.2% from a year earlier, and earnings of $2.12 per share, down 17.8%, according to a Zacks preview based on consensus estimates. The consensus EPS estimate was revised downward by 2.2% over the preceding 30 days.
The estimates are forecasts rather than reported results, and the reviewed reporting does not provide Merck’s official first-half revenue total. Merck is scheduled to release its third-quarter results on Oct. 29, based on prior-day reporting.
Keytruda remains the central sales measure
Analysts forecast Keytruda sales of $7.46 billion for the quarter, an 8.4% year-over-year decline, with international sales estimated at $3.30 billion, up 1%. The combined Lynparza alliance revenue estimate is $368.98 million, down 2.6%, including $167.11 million in the United States and $201.87 million internationally.
Lenvima alliance sales are estimated at $160.37 million in the United States and $84.36 million internationally, representing declines of 9.4% and growth of 4.2%, respectively. These estimates underscore the attention investors are placing on Keytruda and Merck’s oncology portfolio, but they do not establish what the company will report.
Newer products face a launch and adoption test
Prior-day reporting identified Lipfendra, Qlex and Winrevair as important products to monitor in Merck’s upcoming results. Lipfendra was preparing for its first full quarter on the market, with access and adoption expected to develop gradually. Qlex, the subcutaneous formulation of Keytruda, generated $463 million in the previous quarter, up from $128 million in the first quarter, while Winrevair sales increased 75% to $588 million.
The same report said more than 1,800 new U.S. patients received Winrevair prescriptions in the second quarter. It also noted that Merck and Daiichi Sankyo had withdrawn their accelerated-approval application for I-DXd in small-cell lung cancer.
Other product estimates point to mixed performance
Analysts forecast U.S. Zerbaxa sales of $49.99 million, up 2%, while international Zerbaxa sales were not specified in the reviewed lead-source estimate. Total Bridion U.S. sales were estimated at $254.73 million, down 35%, and U.S. Janumet sales at $31.19 million, down 60%.
Prevymis sales were estimated at $288.50 million, up 8.5%. These figures are analyst estimates for the unreported quarter, not realized sales or company guidance.
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