Merck and Curon Biopharmaceutical, a privately held biotech company, have entered into a definitive agreement under which Merck, through a subsidiary, will acquire CN201, an investigational clinical-stage bispecific antibody for the treatment of B-cell associated diseases, for $700 million upfront. Curon is also eligible to receive as much as $600 million in milestone payments associated development and regulatory approval of CN201.
 
CN201 is currently being evaluated in Phase 1 and Phase 1b/2 trials for the treatment of relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) and relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), respectively. Preliminary data suggest CN201 has activity in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell hematologic malignancies and is well tolerated, with the potential to induce significant and sustained reductions in B-cell populations. Merck plans to evaluate CN201 as a treatment for B-cell malignancies as well as investigate its potential to provide a novel treatment option in autoimmune diseases.
 
“We continue to identify opportunities to expand and diversify our pipeline,” said Dr. Dean Y. Li, president, Merck Research Laboratories. “Early clinical data have provided robust evidence for the potential of CN201 to target and deplete circulating and tissue B cells with the potential to treat a range of malignant and autoimmune diseases.”
 
“This agreement reflects the drive and dedication of the Curon team,” said Zhihong Chen, president and chief executive officer, Curon. “As a pioneer in immuno-oncology, Merck is well positioned to build upon the work done to-date and investigate the wide-ranging, first-in-class potential of CN201.”