Merck expands cancer immunotherapy pipeline with $680m Harpoon acquisition

11 Jan 2024
www.pmlive.com
ImmunotherapyPhase 1AcquisitionCell Therapy
Merck expands cancer immunotherapy pipeline with $680m Harpoon acquisition
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Source: PMLiVE
Merck & Co – known as MSD outside the US and Canada – has announced that it will be acquiring immuno-oncology company Harpoon Therapeutics and its pipeline of T-cell engagers for approximately $680m.
T-cell engagers are engineered proteins that redirect T cells to attack targeted tumour cells.
Harpoon is developing a new class of ‘TriTAC’ T-cell therapeutics, which aim to achieve superior efficacy in penetrating solid tumours than ‘off-the-shelf’ T-cell therapies.
TriTACs, which are comprised of three binding domains, are designed to have an extended serum half-life and be about one-third the size of a monoclonal antibody, which could allow for faster diffusion into solid tumour tissue.
The company’s pipeline includes HPN328, a T-cell engager targeting DLL3, which is expressed at high levels in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and neuroendocrine tumours.
A phase 1/2 clinical trial is currently evaluating the candidate as monotherapy in patients with advanced cancers associated with expression of DLL3, as well as in combination with Roche’s PD-L1 inhibitor Tecentriq (atezolizumab) in patients with SCLC.
Through the acquisition, Merck will also gain access to HPN217, a BCMA-directed candidate currently in phase 1 clinical development to treat relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma, and several preclinical-stage programmes.
Dr Dean Li, president of Merck Research Laboratories, said: “This agreement reflects the creativity and commitment of scientists and clinical development teams at Harpoon.
“We look forward to further evaluating HPN328 in innovative combinations with other pipeline candidates.”
Under the terms of the definitive agreement, which is expected to close in the first half of this year, Merck will acquire all outstanding shares of Harpoon for $23 per share in cash.
Julie Eastland, Harpoon’s president and chief executive officer, said: "With Merck’s recognised leadership in oncology clinical development and global commercial footprint, our lead candidate, HPN328, is well positioned moving forward.
The announcement comes less than two months after Merck said it had agreed to acquire Caraway Therapeutics for up to $610m, giving it access to a pipeline of small-molecule therapeutics for genetically defined neurodegenerative and rare diseases.
The company also revealed in April that it would be acquiring Prometheus Biosciences for around $10.8bn, marking a significant boost to its immunology pipeline. The deal, which was completed in June, included Prometheus’ lead candidate being developed for ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease and other autoimmune conditions.
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