Amidst southeast Pennsylvania’s thriving life sciences industry, three companies stood out last year as the most prominent champions of the health and wellbeing of everyday patients.

And North Wales’ Merck & Co. is one of them.

Merck & Co.’s significant contribution to the quality of health care came in the form of KEYTRUDA, the anti-PD-1 cancer treatment therapy that’s giving patients a vital knockout punch in the dreaded fight against cancer.

It is one of three finalists in the running for the 2016 Patient Impact Award, which will be bestowed on March 9 by suburban Philly trade association Life Sciences Pennsylvania.

“The finalists for the 2016 Patient Impact Award demonstrate the diversity of efforts and steadfast dedication to life-changing and live-saving medical treatments,” said Life Sciences Pennsylvania President and CEO Christopher P. Molineaux.

Besides Merck & Co., the research-funding Emily Whitehead Foundation and Jefferson Health’s on-demand JeffConnect are also finalists for the Patient Impact Award. Check out previous MONTCO Today coverage of Merck & Co. here.