July 30 (Reuters) - Merck & Co ( MRK ) posted

higher-than-expected second-quarter results on Tuesday on strong

growth of its blockbuster cancer immunotherapy Keytruda, the

world's best-selling prescription medicine.

New Jersey-based Merck ( MRK ) slightly raised its full-year sales

projections, following other big pharmaceutical companies like

Roche, Johnson & Johnson and Bristol Myers

Squibb, which lifted their forecasts when they reported

earnings earlier this month.

Merck ( MRK ) posted a profit of $5.5 billion, or $2.14 per share,

for the quarter, compared with a loss of $6 billion, or $2.35 a

share, a year earlier, when it took a large acquisition-related

charge.

Excluding one-time items, Merck ( MRK ) said it earned $2.28 per

share. Analysts, on average, expected $2.15 a share, according

to LSEG data.

Sales in the quarter were $16.1 billion, up 7% from last

year and above analysts' expectations of $15.8 billion.

Keytruda has been Merck's ( MRK ) most important revenue driver for

years with annual sales expected to rise well above $30 billion

before the drug loses patent protection toward the end of the

decade.

Sales of Keytruda, which is approved to treat many types of

cancer, hit $7.3 billion for the quarter, up 16% from a year

ago. Analysts had expected sales of around $7.1 billion.

Merck ( MRK ) said it now expects full-year sales of $63.4 to $64.4

billion, up from its prior view of $63.1 to $64.3 billion.

Analysts have forecast 2024 sales of $64.3 billion.

But the company cut its full-year earnings forecast mainly

due to one-time charges from its acquisition of eye-focused drug

developer EyeBio.

Merck ( MRK ) now expects 2024 earnings of $7.94 to $8.04 per share,

down from its earlier forecast of $8.53 to $8.65. Analysts had

previously been looking for 2024 earnings of $8.15 a share.

The company's shares, which closed at $127.78 on Monday,

are up more than 17% this year.