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ARTICLE | Company News

Tilos takeout sees Merck tapping TGFβ to solve checkpoint resistance

June 10, 2019 10:01 PM UTC

In its ongoing quest to find combinations for Keytruda pembrolizumab, Merck is acquiring two-year-old Tilos for its ability to modulate TGFβ, a target that’s been gaining interest on the back of clinical data in immuno-oncology, according to Tilos CEO Barbara Fox.

Shareholders of Tilos Therapeutics Inc. (Lexington, Mass.) could receive up to $773 million in total, including an upfront payment and milestones. Fox declined to give specific financial terms, as did Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) spokesperson Pamela Eisele...