Feb 23 (Reuters) - Merck ( MRK ) said on Monday it will split its human-health business into ​two divisions, separating ‌its blockbuster cancer franchise led by ⁠Keytruda from its non-oncology medicines.

The ⁠shake-up comes as the ‌drugmaker braces ‌for the looming loss of exclusivity ​on Keytruda, which ‌accounted for nearly half of Merck's ( MRK ) total revenue ​in 2025. ​Shares ‌of the U.S. drugmaker were up 1.4% in premarket trading.

The ⁠news was first reported by ⁠the Wall Street Journal earlier in the day.

Keytruda, approved for several forms of ⁠cancers, ‌recorded sales of more ‌than $30 billion in 2025 and ⁠is the best selling prescription medicine in the world.

The pharma major has tripled its pipeline since 2021 and has been diversifying ​into multiple therapeutics areas to bolster its portfolio.

(Reporting by ​Padmanabhan Ananthan in ‌Bengaluru; Editing by ​Shilpi Majumdar)