A Dutch patent court ruled in favor of Halozyme Therapeutics, finding that Merck's subcutaneous (under-the-skin) version of its cancer drug Keytruda infringes a Halozyme patent. The court ordered Merck to halt the manufacturing, sale and distribution of Keytruda SC in eight European countries: the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Sweden and Switzerland.
The injunction is a setback for Merck, which developed the injectable version to offer patients a more convenient option and extend Keytruda's product life cycle as patents on the intravenous version near expiration. The intravenous version is not affected by the order and will remain available to patients.
The ruling follows a similar preliminary injunction Halozyme secured in Germany in December 2025.