{"id":74631,"date":"2026-11-13T08:08:26","date_gmt":"2026-11-13T12:08:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/merck-oncology-combo-gains-positive-eu-opinion-global-microsoft-outage-disrupts-uk-services\/74631\/"},"modified":"2026-11-13T08:08:26","modified_gmt":"2026-11-13T12:08:26","slug":"merck-oncology-combo-gains-positive-eu-opinion-global-microsoft-outage-disrupts-uk-services","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/merck-oncology-combo-gains-positive-eu-opinion-global-microsoft-outage-disrupts-uk-services\/74631\/","title":{"rendered":"Merck Oncology Combo Gains Positive EU Opinion; Global Microsoft Outage Disrupts UK Services"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Merck (<a href=\"\/stock\/MRK\">MRK<\/a>)<\/strong> received a positive <strong>CHMP opinion<\/strong> for its <strong>Welireg<\/strong> and <strong>Lenvatinib<\/strong> combination, positioning it to become the first <strong>HIF-2\u03b1 inhibitor<\/strong> and <strong>VEGFR-TKI<\/strong> regimen in the EU for advanced kidney cancer.<\/li>\n<li>A global <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/stock\/MSFT\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"18\" title=\"Stock: MSFT\">Microsoft<\/a> (<a href=\"\/stock\/MSFT\">MSFT<\/a>)<\/strong> outage has caused widespread disruption across the UK public sector, specifically impacting the <strong>MHRA<\/strong> and <strong>NHS<\/strong> communication systems.<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>European Commission<\/strong> cleared the acquisition of <strong>Saffron<\/strong> and <strong>PMH<\/strong> by <strong>POSCO (<a href=\"\/stock\/PKX\">PKX<\/a>)<\/strong> and <strong>JSW Steel (<a href=\"\/stock\/JSWSTEEL\">JSWSTEEL<\/a>)<\/strong>, facilitating a major steel joint venture in India.<\/li>\n<li><strong>China Rare Earth Resources<\/strong> is set to commence trading on the <strong>Shenzhen Stock Exchange<\/strong> on November 16, following a period of strategic restructuring.<\/li>\n<li>Geopolitical tensions rose as <strong>Finland<\/strong> rejected reported Russian demands for its withdrawal from <strong>NATO<\/strong>, with Finnish officials describing the move as a &quot;test&quot; of Western unity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Merck Oncology Expansion<\/h2>\n<p>Merck (<a href=\"\/stock\/MRK\">MRK<\/a>) announced today that the <strong>European Medicines Agency\u2019s (EMA)<\/strong> Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has issued a positive opinion recommending the approval of <strong>Welireg (belzutifan)<\/strong> in combination with <strong>Lenvatinib<\/strong>. The regimen is intended for adult patients with advanced <strong>renal cell carcinoma (RCC)<\/strong> who have previously undergone anti-PD-1\/L1 therapy.<\/p>\n<p>If the <strong>European Commission<\/strong> follows the recommendation, this will mark the first time a <strong>HIF-2\u03b1 inhibitor<\/strong> is combined with a <strong>VEGFR-TKI<\/strong> in the European Union. A final decision from the Commission is expected within the next <strong>two months<\/strong>, following the <strong>FDA&#39;s<\/strong> approval of the same combination in September 2026.<\/p>\n<h2>Global Microsoft Outage Hits UK Regulators<\/h2>\n<p>The UK\u2019s <strong>Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)<\/strong> reported significant technical difficulties today, citing a global <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/stock\/MSFT\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"18\" title=\"Stock: MSFT\">Microsoft<\/a> (<a href=\"\/stock\/MSFT\">MSFT<\/a>)<\/strong> outage that has paralyzed its email systems. While the agency confirmed that its public safety functions remain operational, the inability to send or receive digital correspondence has slowed regulatory workflows.<\/p>\n<p>The outage has also had a &quot;serious impact&quot; on the <strong>National Health Service (NHS)<\/strong>, where staff have struggled to refer patient details and manage backlogs. <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/stock\/MSFT\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"18\" title=\"Stock: MSFT\">Microsoft<\/a> has indicated that the issue is related to a software update rather than a cyberattack, though a timeline for a &quot;sustained recovery&quot; remains unconfirmed.<\/p>\n<h2>Industrial M&amp;A and State Aid<\/h2>\n<p>The <strong>European Commission<\/strong> has officially cleared the acquisition of <strong>Saffron<\/strong> and <strong>PMH<\/strong> by South Korea&#39;s <strong>POSCO (<a href=\"\/stock\/PKX\">PKX<\/a>)<\/strong> and India&#39;s <strong>JSW Steel (<a href=\"\/stock\/JSWSTEEL\">JSWSTEEL<\/a>)<\/strong>. This clearance paves the way for a <strong>50-50 joint venture<\/strong> to establish a <strong>6 million-ton<\/strong> integrated steel plant in Odisha, India, representing one of the largest industrial investments in the region.<\/p>\n<p>Separately, the EU executive branch approved <strong>\u20ac960 million<\/strong> in Dutch state aid for <strong>Invest-NL<\/strong>. The funding includes a <strong>\u20ac900 million capital increase<\/strong> for its impact investment subsidiary and continued subsidies through 2032, aimed at supporting the Netherlands&#39; transition toward a sustainable economy.<\/p>\n<h2>Market and Geopolitical Developments<\/h2>\n<p><strong>China Rare Earth Resources<\/strong> is scheduled to begin trading in <strong>Shenzhen<\/strong> on November 16. The listing follows a major asset restructuring under the <strong>China Rare Earth Group<\/strong>, as Beijing continues to consolidate its dominance over critical mineral supply chains amid ongoing trade negotiations with the United States.<\/p>\n<p>In the geopolitical arena, Finnish Defense Minister <strong>Antti H\u00e4kk\u00e4nen<\/strong> dismissed reports that Russia is seeking Finland&#39;s exit from <strong>NATO<\/strong> as part of Ukraine peace talks in Abu Dhabi. H\u00e4kk\u00e4nen stated that Russian demands regarding NATO&#39;s structure are <strong>&quot;not negotiable&quot;<\/strong> and characterized the proposals as an attempt to undermine European security architecture.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Merck (MRK) received a positive CHMP opinion for its Welireg and Lenvatinib combination, positioning it to become the 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