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Caris Life Sciences and Merck KGaA Forge Alliance for Cancer Drug Discovery

NextEdge Admin

05 Apr 2024

2 min 24 sec

Caris Life Sciences announced a groundbreaking partnership with Merck KGaA, a German pharmaceutical giant, through its therapeutic research arm, Caris Discovery. The collaboration aims to expedite the development of pioneering antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) tailored for cancer patients, signaling a significant stride in oncological therapeutics.

Valued at potentially $1.4 billion, the multi-year agreement entails an undisclosed upfront payment and research funding from Merck, followed by milestone payments contingent upon discovery, development, regulatory approvals, and sales achievements, alongside tiered royalties.

Central to this partnership is Caris Discovery’s utilization of its innovative ADAPT Biotargeting platform, patient tissue repository, molecular profiling via sequencing, and cutting-edge AI and machine learning capabilities to identify and validate targets. Merck KGaA will then assume responsibility for preclinical and clinical research, as well as the development and commercialization of the identified drug candidates.

Furthermore, Merck secures an exclusive global license to advance, manufacture, and market ADC therapeutics for selected targets, reinforcing its commitment to pioneering cancer treatments.

Paul Lyne, global head of Merck KGaA’s research unit oncology, expressed confidence in the collaboration’s potential to address critical unmet needs in diverse cancer types. He emphasized the synergy between Merck’s internal ADC capabilities and Caris’s unique discovery platform, underscoring the collective effort to introduce novel first-in-class ADCs and augment Merck’s oncology portfolio.

The partnership between Caris Discovery and Merck KGaA signifies a strategic alliance poised to propel oncological innovation, with the shared objective of delivering impactful therapies to patients battling cancer worldwide.