Pharma BD Deal Intelligence
Merck paid ~$95M upfront for a single Phase 1 checkpoint antibody that showed no efficacy signal as monotherapy — Merck discontinued it and handed the rights back to the original founders within a few years, who later revived it (as CM24/Purple Biotech) in combination therapy long after Merck had exited.
Full analysis, sources & comparables →Merck signs a $605M deal to bulk up in cancer immunotherapy, adding a Phase 1 anti-CEACAM1 antibody as it widens its checkpoint pipeline beyond Keytruda.
CEACAM1 emerges as a multi-purpose target for cancer immunotherapy with synergistic activity alongside PD-1/PD-L1 blockade, validating the combination thesis…
Kitov to acquire FameWave and CM-24 after Merck's Phase 1 monotherapy study showed no efficacy signals; Merck discontinued development though no safety risks…
Source summaries from our enrichment pipeline; follow links for originals.
All 5 sources with sentiment breakdown →
Merck acquired Israeli immuno-oncology biotech cCAM Biotherapeutics for $95M upfront plus up to $510M in milestones, gaining anti-CEACAM1 antibody CM-24, then in Phase 1 evaluation in advanced solid tumors and hematologic malignancies.
Merck paid ~$95M upfront for a single Phase 1 checkpoint antibody that showed no efficacy signal as monotherapy — Merck discontinued it and handed the rights back to the original founders within a few years, who later revived it (as CM24/Purple Biotech) in combination therapy long after Merck had exited.
Assessment window: 10yr post-close.
| Deal | Year | Value | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merck & Co., Inc. / cCAM Biotherapeutics Ltd. (this deal) | 2015 | $605M | 17 |
| Merck & Co., Inc. / IOmet Pharma Ltd. | 2016 | $400M | 23 |
| Merck & Co., Inc. / Afferent Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 2016 | $1.2B | 23 |
| AstraZeneca PLC / Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited | 2019 | $6.9B | 100 |
| Novartis AG / Endocyte, Inc. | 2018 | $2.1B | 96 |
| Astellas Pharma Inc. / Seagen Inc. | 2009 | $4.5B | 95 |
| Bristol-Myers Squibb Company / Medarex Inc. | 2009 | $2.4B | 92 |
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More: 2015 deals · Merck & Co., Inc. deals · Oncology deals