Pharma BD Deal Intelligence

Merck & Co. Inc. / Ablynx NV

2014 · Licensing/Option · $2.3B · Complete

Outcome grade pending — assessed 5 years post-close.

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The coverage arc

Feb 03, 2014 BioProcess Online Neutral

The collaboration positions Merck KGaA as a credible immuno-oncology platform player despite trailing BMS, Merck & Co., and Roche on PD-1/PD-L1 monotherapy…

Feb 04, 2014 GEN — Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News Bullish

The deal expands the platform race in checkpoint immunotherapy, with Ablynx's bi- and tri-specific Nanobody constructs offering a structural alternative to…

Jul 22, 2015 FierceBiotech Bullish

The 2015 expansion adding 12 programs and €4B in biobucks underscored Merck's confidence in the original 2014 Nanobody candidates, with Jefferies' Peter…

Source summaries from our enrichment pipeline; follow links for originals.

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Merck KGaA paid Ablynx EUR 20M upfront plus up to EUR 10.7M in research funding and up to EUR 1.7B in development, regulatory and commercial milestones across five Nanobody programs targeting immune checkpoint modulators. The deal vaulted Merck KGaA into the immuno-oncology platform race and was later expanded by an additional EUR 4B in 2015.

Key facts

Related deals — scored

DealYearValueOutcome
Merck & Co. Inc. / Ablynx NV (this deal)2014$2.3B
Merck & Co. Inc. / Acceleron Pharma Inc.2021$11.5B90
Merck & Co. Inc. / Peloton Therapeutics Inc.2019$2.2B88
Merck & Co. Inc. / AstraZeneca PLC2017$8.5B87
Merck & Co. Inc. / Moderna, Inc.2022$250M86
Merck & Co. Inc. / Moderna, Inc.2016$250M84
Merck & Co. Inc. / Eisai Co., Ltd.2018$5.8B83

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