Merck expands focus on autoimmune diseases with US$700M acquisition

USA—Merck & Co. has acquired CN201, an experimental drug from Curon Biopharmaceutical, indicating a shift towards using bispecific antibodies to treat autoimmune diseases.

This strategic move demonstrates Merck’s commitment to exploring innovative therapies that harness the immune system’s potential to combat various health conditions.

Merck will pay Curon Biopharmaceutical, a privately held biotechnology firm located in China, about US$700 million up front for the rights to the potential medicine known as CN201.

This experimental medicine is a new type of bispecific antibody that targets and modulates B cells, which are an important component of the immune system.

If CN201 achieves particular research and regulatory milestones, Merck is prepared to pay a further US$600 million in potential downstream payments.

CN201 is characterised by its dual-acting capabilities, which include guiding immune cells towards a protein found in B cells.

These B cells are responsible for producing protective antibodies, but they can also be involved in certain cancers and autoimmune diseases.

CN201’s novel strategy is not without precedent; other bispecific medicines and cell treatments have already shown efficacy in targeting proteins on malignant B cells to treat a variety of malignancies.

Encouragingly, recent research has revealed that comparable procedures might be used for treating autoimmune illnesses.

Curon is currently evaluating CN201 in two early-stage trials that focus on lymphoma and leukaemia.

Preliminary findings presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting earlier this year showed encouraging results, including large and sustained reductions in B-cell numbers.

These discoveries have increased Merck’s confidence in the drug’s potential for cancer as well as as a novel and scalable treatment for autoimmune diseases.

Dean Li, Merck’s Chief of Research, emphasised CN201’s promise, noting preliminary clinical data that show the drug’s capacity to target and reduce both circulating and tissue B cells.

Merck joins a growing number of pharmaceutical companies studying cell therapies and bispecific antibodies for autoimmune disease. This potential could open up new routes for treating various malignant and autoimmune conditions.