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Merck celebrated the opening of its reimagined Rahway headquarters in June 2023. - PROVIDED BY MERCK
Merck celebrated the opening of its reimagined Rahway headquarters in June 2023. - PROVIDED BY MERCK
Merck to acquire Curon cell therapy drug in up to $1.3B deal
Matthew Fazelpoor//August 9, 2024//
Listen to this articleRahway-headquartered Merck on Friday announced a deal with Curon Biopharmaceutical to acquire full global rights to CN201. The company will pay up to $1.3 billion for the next-generation cell therapy drug.
Under the terms of the deal, Merck – through a subsidiary – will pay $700 million upfront to acquire full global rights to CN201. Curon is also eligible to receive up to $600 million in milestone payments for hitting regulatory and developmental goals.
“We continue to identify opportunities to expand and diversify our pipeline,” said Dr. Dean Li, president, Merck Research Laboratories, in a press release.
CN201 is a novel investigational clinical-stage bispecific antibody with potential applications in B-cell malignancies and autoimmune diseases. It is currently being evaluated in Current Phase 1 and Phase 1b/2 clinical trials for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) and relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL).
Preliminary data has shown the promising potential for patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell hematologic malignances. CN201 offers the potential to induce significant and sustained reductions in B-cell populations.
Merck plans to use CN201 as a treatment for B-cell malignancies while investigating its potential to treat autoimmune diseases.
‘Robust potential’
“Early clinical data have provided robust evidence for the potential of CN201 to target and deplete circulating and tissue B cells with the potential to treat a range of malignant and autoimmune diseases,” said Li.
“This agreement reflects the drive and dedication of the Curon team,” said Zhihong Chen, president and CEO, Curon. “As a pioneer in immuno-oncology, Merck is well positioned to build upon the work done to-date and investigate the wide-ranging, first-in-class potential of CN201.”
Hogan Lovells serves as Merck’s legal advisor for the transaction. Curon tapped Centerview Partners LLC as financial advisor and Goodwin Proctor LLP as legal advisor.
The deal is slated to close in the third quarter of this year, subject to approval under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antirust Improvements Act and other customary conditions.
