Merck & Co. Partners in $695-Million Deal for Cancer Immunotherapies

Merck & Co. and Dragonfly Therapeutics, a Waltham, Massachusetts-based company specializing in cancer immunotherapies, have partnered to discover, develop, and commercialize immunotherapies for patients with solid tumor cancers in a deal worth up to $695 million.

The collaboration grants Merck & Co. the option to license exclusive worldwide intellectual property rights to products developed using Dragonfly’s TriNKET technology platform for a number of solid-tumor programs, with the potential to earn Dragonfly up to $695 million in upfront and milestone payments per program as well as royalties on sales of approved products. The company’s proprietary TriNKET technology provide an active connection between cancer cells, and cells of the immune system, including natural killer (NK) cells, T cells, B cells, and other cells that help attack and kill cancer, according to information from the company.

“Dragonfly’s technology platform offers an opportunity to harness the power of NK cell receptor engagement to develop novel therapeutics targeting solid tumor indications,” said Dr. Joe Miletich, Senior Vice President Discovery and Preclinical Development, Merck Research Laboratories in an October 1, 2018 statement.

Source: Dragonfly Therapeutics

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