BeiGene, Co. has achieved a clinical milestone in its collaboration with Merck Serono for BGB-283, a second-generation BRAF inhibitor candidate in Phase I development, triggering a $5 million payment from Merck.
 
The companies entered the BGB-283, two-asset strategic collaboration in 2013. In December 2013, BeiGene began a Phase I trial of BGB-283 in patients with BRAF or KRAS mutations. The drug offers the potential to treat cancers that harbor BRAF mutations and/or aberrations in the RAS-MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) pathway.
 
“We are very pleased to successfully reach this development milestone for BGB-283, as this exciting oncology candidate demonstrates the potential of BeiGene’s innovative translational research platform to deliver targeted therapeutics that address the unmet need of cancer patients,” said John V. Oyler, chief executive officer of BeiGene. “We look forward to working with Merck Serono as it continues to progress through the clinic.”