Merck’s Keytruda subject of brewing patent dispute with Halozyme, WSJ says

Merck (MRK) has been adjusting Keytruda to make it easier to use and to protect the company for after the U.S. patent protection runs out in 2028, Jared Hopkins of The Wall Street Journal reports. The enzyme in the new Keytruda allows it to be injected instead of intravenously, which is the subject of a brewing patent dispute between Merck and Halozyme (HALO). Merk last year began asking the U.S. patent regulators to reconsider certain patents for Halozyme’s Mdase, arguing the patents were overly broad. Meanwhile, Halozyme believes the new Keytruda infringes on its patents and Merk must sign a licensing agreement to sell its new version, people familiar with the matter told the Journal.