Merck Inks $3.3B Licensing Deal With Chinese Biotech for Cancer Therapy

Merck (MRK) announced that it has entered into an exclusive licensing deal with China-based privately-held biotech company LaNova Medicines for the latter’s PD-1xVEGF targeting bispecific antibody candidate, LM-299.Per the terms of the deal, Merck will acquire the global rights to develop and market LM-299. In return, LaNova will receive an upfront cash payment of $588 million. In addition, Merck will have to pay up to $2.7 billion in milestone payments to LaNova.The deal is expected to be closed by the end ...