Merck Discontinues Bacterial Infection Drug in Europe

Merck & Co Inc (NYSE: MRK) is permanently discontinuing its bacterial infection therapy Zinplava (bezlotoxumab) in Europe due to commercial reasons, following the European Commission's withdrawal of its marketing authorization. Zinplava was initially approved in January 2017 to prevent recurrent Clostridium difficile infections and had its authorization extended in 2021. The company also plans to exit the U.S. market by December 2024. At the time of the announcement, Merck's shares rose by 3.19% to $148.21.