MSD to Acquire Bispecific Antibody From Curon in Bid to Diversify Portfolio
Global healthcare and pharma company MSD (Merck & Co) has announced that it will acquire the rights to Curon Biopharmaceutical's bispecific antibody candidate CN201. The purchase signals a continued foray into multispecifics for the healthcare giant, after it successfully acquired EyeBio's trispecific antibody for $1.3 billion last month.
Dean Y. Li, President at Merck Research Laboratories, said: “We continue to identify opportunities to expand and diversify our pipeline.”
The B cell targeting-therapy is a novel investigational clinical stage bispecific antibody which is designed to tackle B cell-related diseases like relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) and relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL).
Under the agreement, MSD will pay Curon a $700 million in an upfront payment for the full global rights to the candidate, via an MSD subsidiary. An extra $600 million in milestone payments are also up for grabs dependent on the development and regulatory approval of the antibody.
The bispecific antibody is a CD3xCD19 T cell engager. It locks on to malignant B cells, bringing them into contact with cancer-killing T cells to fight the disease. CN201 is currently being evaluated in Phase I and Phase Ib/II clinical trials for NHL and ALL respectively. Preliminary data shows that the biologic candidate performs well against B cell-related blood cancers
“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,” explained Li.
Curon is a clinical stage biologics developer, with another preclinical immunotherapy candidate. The company is incorporated in the Cayman Islands and operates in Australia, Shanghai, and Hong Kong.
“This agreement reflects the drive and dedication of the Curon team,” said Zhihong Chen, President and Chief Executive Officer, 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.”Related Resources
