Merck Acquires CN201 for B-Cell Therapy

The acquisition of CN201, a new experimental clinical-stage bispecific antibody for the treatment of B-cell related disorders, has been agreed to by Merck and Curon Biopharmaceutical. Under the terms of the deal, Merck will pay $700 million in cash up front to purchase the worldwide rights to CN201, while Curon will be eligible for milestone payments of up to $600 million. Patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) are presently undergoing Phase 1 and Phase 1b/2 clinical studies to assess CN201.

According to preliminary evidence, CN201 is well tolerated and may have some effect in individuals with relapsed or refractory B-cell haematologic malignancies. Merck intends to assess CN201's efficacy in treating B-cell malignancies and look into whether it might offer a cutting-edge, scalable solution in the management of autoimmune disorders. The Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act and other usual requirements must be satisfied before the deal may proceed. The deal will be recorded as an asset purchase and is anticipated to completion in the third quarter of 2024. In the period that the acquisition closes, Merck anticipates recording a pre-tax charge of about $750 million, or $0.28 per share, to be reflected in non-GAAP earnings.