Merck KGaA (the "Company") is investigating a bifunctional immunotherapy, bintrafusp alfa (anti-PD-L1/TGF-beta trap), as a potential therapy for difficult to treat cancers.

While reviewing the totality of data from the ongoing clinical trial INTR@PID Lung 037 in the first-line treatment of patients with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that have high expression of PD-L1 (the "Clinical Trial"), the Independent Data Monitoring Committee recommended on January 19, 2021 to discontinue the Clinical Trial. Based on this recommendation, the Company has made the decision to discontinue the Clinical Trial, as the
study is unlikely to meet the primary efficacy endpoint. The recommendation by the Independent Data Monitoring Committee and the Company's decision is related only to this Clinical Trial.

Bintrafusp alfa is currently under clinical investigation and not approved for any use anywhere in the world.

An investor and analyst call with the Company's management is scheduled for 2:00 pm (CET).



Andreas Cezanne - Head of Corporate Media Relations
Merck KGaA
Frankfurter Straße 250
64293 Darmstadt
Germany
Phone: +49 151-14542702