Back again: Merck willing to dole out more than $9B for Kelun’s ADCs
While all has gone quiet on the M&A rumor front for Seagen, one of the pioneers in antibody-drug conjugates, Merck has been racking up deal after deal for ADCs out of a Chengdu, China-based partner.
In the latest of three tie-ups with Kelun-Biotech, Merck is likely entering the history books with a deal that could balloon to $9.3 billion in back-end payments — that’s if seven ADCs make it to market. That’s a huge if, as drug R&D is notorious for an approximately 10% success rate, but the immediate boost to Kelun’s coffers is not small: $175 million plus an intended equity investment of undisclosed size.
Unlock this article instantly by becoming a free subscriber.
You’ll get access to free articles each month, plus you can customize what newsletters get delivered to your inbox each week, including breaking news.
