MERCK
20.12.2021 14:02:06 CET | Business Wire | Press release
Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced a strategically focused expansion of its neurology pipeline with the acquisition of the rights to develop cladribine for the treatment of generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). Merck entered into an agreement to secure the global rights by acquiring Chord Therapeutics, a Swiss-based biotech company focused on rare neuroinflammatory diseases.
“Cladribine has a unique mechanism of action which is relevant in antibody-mediated disease such as NMOSD and gMG. In exploratory studies, cladribine demonstrated promising results in these diseases. These data have prompted us to initiate further development with cladribine in gMG and NMOSD to potentially bring a new therapeutic option to patients and expand our portfolio in this area,” said Danny Bar-Zohar, MD, Head of Global Development for the biopharma business of Merck.
Cladribine is a well characterized molecule that has been extensively studied across MS and oncologic disorders and has shown promising results in exploratory studies in gMG and NMOSD. Merck plans to leverage its existing capabilities to further develop an oral cladribine product tailored specifically for these indications. The transaction is expected to be closed in early 2022 after satisfactory completion of customary closing conditions.
Generalized myasthenia gravis is a disease in which patients experience weakness in ocular, limb, and respiratory muscles and that has a significant impact on Quality of Life. It is estimated that 700,000 people around the world are living with gMG. NMOSD, also known as Devic´s disease, is an autoimmune disease, often misdiagnosed as MS due to similar symptoms. NMOSD is estimated to impact 200,000 people around the world.
About Chord Therapeutics
Chord Therapeutics is a Swiss-based clinical stage pharmaceutical company developing drugs for patients with rare, life-threatening and severely disabling diseases. Chord is advancing its lead drug candidate, CRD1 (cladribine), for the treatment of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) and generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG). Chord Therapeutics was founded in 2014 and launched in October 2020 with Series A funding by its sole investor, Omega Funds, a leading international venture capital firm focused on delivering impactful medicines to patients.
Merck in Neurology and Immunology
Merck has a long-standing legacy in neurology and immunology, with significant R&D and commercial experience in multiple sclerosis (MS). The company`s current MS portfolio includes two products for the treatment of relapsing MS – Rebif® (interferon beta-1a) and MAVENCLAD® (cladribine tablets). Merck aims to improve the lives of patients by addressing areas of unmet medical needs. In addition to Merck`s commitment to MS, the company also has a pipeline focusing on discovering new therapies that have the potential in other neuroinflammatory and immune-mediated diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
All Merck Press Releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck Website. Please go to www.merckgroup.com/subscribe to register online, change your selection or discontinue this service.
About Merck
Merck, a leading science and technology company, operates across healthcare, life science and electronics. Around 58,000 employees work to make a positive difference to millions of people’s lives every day by creating more joyful and sustainable ways to live. From advancing gene editing technologies and discovering unique ways to treat the most challenging diseases to enabling the intelligence of devices – the company is everywhere. In 2020, Merck generated sales of € 17.5 billion in 66 countries.
Scientific exploration and responsible entrepreneurship have been key to Merck’s technological and scientific advances. This is how Merck has thrived since its founding in 1668. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed company. Merck holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the business sectors of Merck operate as EMD Serono in healthcare, MilliporeSigma in life science, and EMD Electronics.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211220005062/en/
Link:
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Agenus Announces Oversubscribed Private Placement of Up to $340 Million to Advance Registrational ROBBIN Trial of Neoadjuvant BOT+BAL in MSS Colon Cancer13.7.2026 12:00:00 CEST | Press release
$85M upfront financing, along with up to $255 million upon exercise of purchase warrants, is expected to fund ROBBIN1, Agenus' registrational Phase 3 trial of neoadjuvant botensilimab and balstilimab (BOT+BAL) in microsatellite-stable (MSS) colon cancer Transaction is structured to fund Agenus through key value-inflection points, including interim topline pathologic response data and interim and final event-free survival (EFS) analyses, with proceeds to fund Agenus operations through year-end 2031, assuming full warrant exercise ROBBIN target population in MSS colon cancer represents a >$7 billion addressable annual sales opportunity in the US for which no new therapies have been approved in over 20 years2,3 To focus resources on the neoadjuvant opportunity, Agenus is discontinuing financial support for the ongoing BATTMAN Phase 3 study in late-line metastatic MSS colorectal cancer Company to host conference call and webcast today at 8:30 a.m. ET Agenus Inc. (Nasdaq: AGEN), a leader in
Zayed Sustainability Prize Closes 2027 Submissions with Strong Global Participation13.7.2026 11:48:00 CEST | Press release
Over 10,000 entries from 177 countries mark the highest participation in the Prize’s historySubmissions increased 32% year-on-year, reflecting sustained local led momentum for scalable global impactThrough 139 winners, the Prize has positively impacted more than 411 million lives worldwide The Zayed Sustainability Prize, the UAE’s pioneering award for innovative solutions to global challenges, has officially closed submissions for its 2027 awards cycle, receiving an unprecedented 10,233 entries from 177 countries across its six categories of Health, Food, Energy, Water, Climate Action and Global High Schools. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260713519403/en/ Zayed Sustainability Prize Closes 2027 Submissions with Strong Global Participation (Photo: AETOSWire) Now in its 18th year, the Prize continues to attract a diverse and growing pool of small and medium-sized enterprises, nonprofit organisations and high sc
Ant Group Open-Sources SingGuard-NSFA to Establish New Security Paradigms for Autonomous AI Agents13.7.2026 11:01:00 CEST | Press release
Ant Group’s AI Security Lab today announced the open-source release of SingGuard-NSFA, a specialized security guardrail framework designed specifically for autonomous AI agents. The framework secures agentic AI systems against operational threats like prompt injection, addressing critical vulnerabilities as AI transitions from passive content generation to active, autonomous execution. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260712722454/en/ As AI agents rapidly move from research labs to business scenarios, the security landscape has fundamentally shifted. The explosive global adoption of open-source agent frameworks like OpenClaw, celebrated for their "one-click deployment" and "full-stack autonomy", has simultaneously exposed significant operational risks, including permission escalation and prompt injection. Industry frameworks, including the OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project) Top 10 for Agentic Applica
Incyte Presents Phase 1/2 Multidose Data for VGA039 (Latarcibart) at ISTH 2026, Showing Substantial Bleed Reductions in Patients with all Von Willebrand Disease Types13.7.2026 10:00:00 CEST | Press release
- Treatment with latarcibart led to an 81% median reduction in annualized bleeding rate (ABR) across all bleeding categories and patient types with von Willebrand disease (VWD) - Latarcibart, administered via a once monthly subcutaneous dosing regimen, was shown to be safe and well tolerated over multiple doses in this study - Pivotal Phase 3 VIVID-6 trial evaluating latarcibart’s potential to be the first targeted therapy for VWD is currently enrolling Incyte (Nasdaq: INCY) today announced complete safety and efficacy data from all patients (n=16) enrolled in the Phase 1/2 multidose study of VGA039 (latarcibart), a novel, Protein S-targeting, investigational monoclonal antibody for patients with von Willebrand disease (VWD). The data are being shared in an oral presentation today at the 34th Congress of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH 2026 Congress) in Paris. Latarcibart modulates Protein S to improve hemostasis, potentially enhancing the body’s ability t
Europe’s Demand for Tech Services Accelerates in Q2, As Spending on AI and Managed Services Rises: ISG Index™13.7.2026 10:00:00 CEST | Press release
Combined market up 46%, led by 64% growth in cloud servicesManaged services up 21%, as companies seek cost savings to fund AI Demand for technology services in Europe continued to accelerate in the second quarter, as the region increasingly turns to managed services to reduce costs and cloud services to meet AI objectives, according to the latest state-of-the-industry report from Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III), a global AI-centered technology research and advisory firm. The EMEA ISG Index™, which measures commercial outsourcing contracts with annual contract value (ACV) of US $5 million or more, shows second-quarter ACV for the combined market (both managed services and cloud-based as-a-service) soared 46 percent—its largest growth in eight years—to US $13.0 billion. The latest quarter adds to a string of three straight quarters in which growth has averaged 33 percent. “Europe has become the fastest-growing region for technology services, fueled not only by an increasin
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom