Merck buys B-cell therapy drug from Curon Biopharmaceutical for $700 million

B-cells can contribute to automimmune disease and cancers

Cancer is on the rise worldwide: according to the World Health Organization, there will be over 35 million new cancer cases in 2050, a 77% increase from the estimated 20 million cases in 2022. Meanwhile, according to the NIEHS, autoimmune diseases affect around 50 million people in the United States, making them the third most common disease category after cancer and heart disease. 

On Friday, Merck announced that it entered into a definitive agreement with Curon Biopharmaceutical, a Shanghai-based privately held biotechnology company, to acquire CN201, a novel investigational clinical-stage bispecific antibody for the treatment of B-cell associated diseases, for $700 million in cash.

In addition, Curon is also eligible to receive up to $600 million in milestone payments associated with the development and regulatory approval of CN201.

The transaction, which is subject to approval under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act and other customary conditions, is expected to close in the third quarter of this year.

B-cells can produce antibodies that attack healthy cells in response to antigens associated with them which can lead to autoimmune diseases such as lupus, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and Type 1 diabetes. Abnormal B cell development is also associated with several cancers, including acute lymphocytic leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and Hodgkin lymphoma.

Currently, CN201 is being evaluated in 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).

So far, preliminary data suggest CN201 has activity in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell hematologic malignancies and is well tolerated, and that is has the potential to induce "significant and sustained reductions" in B-cell populations.

Merck says it also plans to evaluate CN201 as a treatment for B-cell malignancies, as well as to investigate its potential for the treatment of autoimmune diseases.

“We continue to identify opportunities to expand and diversify our pipeline,” Dr. Dean Y. Li, president, Merck Research Laboratories, said in a statement. 

“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.”

Founded in 1668, Merck operates across life science, healthcare and electronics with around 63,000 employees worldwide. The company provides products and services that accelerate drug development and manufacturing, while also discovering new ways to treat the most challenging diseases, and also enabling the intelligence of devices. In 2023, the company generated sales of €21 billion in 65 countries.

This agreement with Curon follows an R&D collaboration with Culmination Bio in January, in which Merck gained access to both clinical data, such as Electronic Health Records, labs, and medications), as well as paired biospecimen data, meaning tissue and blood, from several cohorts of various sizes and qualifications. 

In May, the company announced its acquisition of Mirus Bio, a company that develops and manufactures products for life science research, for $600 million; in July Merck Global Health Innovation Fund led a funding round in N-Power Medicine, a clinical research and drug development platform company looking to boost clinical trial participation to accelerate oncology drug development, as well as a new partnership to expand oncologist and patient access to clinical trials. Through thecollaboration, Merck's pipeline of clinical trials is being deployed in N-Power’s network sites.

(Image source: merck.com)