ARTICLE | Deals
Merck reaches further into ADCs with latest Kelun deal
For $175M up front, pharma gains access to seven oncology therapies, building on two prior deals with China-based company
December 22, 2022 7:58 PM UTC
Merck deepened its commitment to ADCs by forging its third deal with Kelun this year, this time adding up to seven preclinical oncology candidates to its pipeline.
The Kelun-Biotech subsidiary of Sichuan Kelun Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (SZSE:002422) will receive $175 million up front from Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK), which also intends to make an equity investment in the Chinese company. Total milestones associated with the seven antibody-drug conjugates add up to $9.3 billion; the deal also includes tiered royalties...