04:18 AM EDT, 09/16/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Merck ( MRK ) said Sunday a phase 3 trial of Keytruda in combination with chemotherapy before surgery and after surgery without chemotherapy showed improved overall survival rates in patients with high-risk early-stage triple-negative breast cancer.

Among the 1,174 patients enrolled in the study, the patients treated with the Keytruda combination showed an overall survival rate of 86.6%, compared with 81.7% for patients treated only with chemotherapy after 75.1 months, the company said.

The Keytruda regimen reduced the risk of death by 34% compared with the chemotherapy-placebo regimen, Merck ( MRK ) said.