Halozyme has won a court order blocking Merck from selling its injected formulation of Keytruda in select European markets, according to a report carried by AOL.com.

The injunction halts Merck's injected version of the blockbuster cancer immunotherapy in a defined set of European jurisdictions. The ruling marks an escalation in the dispute over the technology used to deliver the drug under the skin rather than by intravenous infusion.

What does the injunction cover?

The court order applies to selected European markets rather than the entire European Union. The decision prevents Merck from marketing or selling the injected Keytruda formulation in those territories while the order remains in force.

Who won, and against what product?

Halozyme, which licenses its drug-delivery platform to pharmaceutical partners, obtained the order against Merck's subcutaneous version of Keytruda. Merck has developed the injected formulation as a successor to the original intravenous form of pembrolizumab, one of the world's top-selling oncology drugs.

What is the practical consequence?

The injunction creates immediate commercial uncertainty for Merck's European launch plans for the injected product in the affected markets. For practitioners, the ruling illustrates the litigation risk that follows formulation-switching strategies in major markets: delivery-technology patents and licensing disputes can disrupt rollouts even after regulatory approval. Companies planning subcutaneous conversions of intravenous biologics will need to clear intellectual property positions market by market.

Further details of the case, including the identity of the issuing court, the case reference, and the duration of the block, were not contained in the source report.