Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, announced the completion of the acquisition of CN201 from Curon Biopharmaceutical (Curon), a novel investigational clinical-stage bispecific antibody for the treatment of B-cell associated diseases.

“By actively depleting B-cells, CN201 offers applications spanning both B-cell malignancies and autoimmune diseases. We look forward to building upon the foundational work started by the Curon team,” said Dr. Dean Y. Li, president, Merck Research Laboratories.

CN201 is currently being investigated in Phase 1 and Phase 1b/2 clinical trials for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) and relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), respectively. Preliminary data suggest CN201 has activity in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell hematologic malignancies and is well tolerated, potentially leading to significant and sustained reductions in B-cell populations.

Transaction details

Under the agreement, Merck, through a subsidiary, has acquired full global rights to CN201. As previously disclosed, the transaction is being accounted for as an asset acquisition. Merck is recording a pre-tax charge of approximately $750 million (reflecting the upfront payment and other related costs), or approximately $0.28 per share, which will be included in third-quarter non-GAAP results and was not included in Merck’s full-year financial outlook issued on July 30. As a matter of policy, Merck provides updates to its financial outlook once each quarter and will provide an update to its full-year financial outlook when it reports third-quarter 2024 results on October 31.