Zhi Tong Cai Jing·2026-01-09 01:16Group 1 - Merck (MRK.US) is in talks to acquire Revolution Medicines (RVMD.US), with a potential deal price between $28 billion and $32 billion, which would be one of the largest pharmaceutical transactions since Pfizer's $43 billion acquisition of Seagen at the end of 2023 [1] - Following the news, Revolution Medicines' stock surged over 15% in after-hours trading [1] - AbbVie (ABBV.US) was also reported to be in "deep" negotiations to acquire Revolution Medicines, potentially valuing the company at over $20 billion, but AbbVie later denied these negotiations [1] Group 2 - Revolution Medicines is developing RMC-6236 (Daraxonrasib), a key asset that is an oral targeted drug aimed at treating cancers driven by RAS gene mutations [2] - Daraxonrasib targets common oncogenic RAS mutations, including G12X, G13X, and Q61X, which are significant drivers of major cancers such as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and colorectal cancer (CRC) [2] - Currently, Daraxonrasib is undergoing evaluation in four global Phase 3 clinical trials, including three studies focused on PDAC and one on locally advanced or metastatic RAS-mutant NSCLC, with key results expected to be announced in the summer of this year [2] Group 3 - The RASolute304 clinical trial, which is a global, open-label Phase 3 study, aims to assess the safety and efficacy of Daraxonrasib in resectable PDAC patients who have undergone surgery and completed chemotherapy [3] - The trial plans to enroll approximately 500 patients with oncogenic RAS mutations who have completed tumor resection and perioperative chemotherapy, evaluating whether Daraxonrasib can improve disease-free survival compared to observation alone [3] - Industry research indicates that the market for pancreatic cancer treatment drugs could expand tenfold to over $3 billion by 2035, driven by Daraxonrasib [3] Group 4 - Typically, January sees an uptick in pharmaceutical mergers and acquisitions as life sciences companies gather at the annual JPMorgan Healthcare Conference, which is considered a breeding ground for M&A activity [4] - Revolution Medicines' drug development pipeline makes it an attractive acquisition target, although any transaction would come with execution risks and high valuation premiums [4] - Merck's key cancer drug Keytruda is set to lose patent protection by the end of this decade, and the potential acquisition of Revolution Medicines could provide Merck with the experimental drug Daraxonrasib [4]