JPMorgan survey reveals ‘underappreciated pipeline opportunity’ for Merck

JPMorgan analyst Chris Schott sees MK-0616 as an "underappreciated pipeline opportunity" for Merck with potentially $5B-plus in peak sales. A survey of 30 physicians in the U.S. confirmed a potentially meaningful role for the product with 60% of physicians preferring an oral option over injectables, and physicians pointing to additional adoption of the PCSK9 class in both the secondary as well as in the large primary prevention markets if an oral option were available, the analyst tells investors in a research note. The firm is now are increasingly confident in Merck’s $10B cardiovascular sales target by the mid-2030s. It keeps an Overweight rating on the shares.