Pharma BD Deal Intelligence
Merck entered a global development and commercialization collaboration with Daiichi Sankyo for three DXd-based ADC candidates, paying $4 billion upfront plus $1.5 billion in continuation payments, with up to $16.5 billion in additional sales milestones (total potential value up to $22 billion); Daiichi Sankyo retains exclusive rights in Japan and is solely responsible for manufacturing. The collaboration was expanded in August 2024 to add gocatamig (MK-6070/DS3280). Outcomes have been mixed: patritumab deruxtecan (HER3-DXd) failed FDA review for NSCLC and was withdrawn. Ifinatamab deruxtecan (I-DXd) had its Phase 3 IDeate-Lung02 trial placed on a U.S. partial clinical hold in late 2025 over excess ILD-related deaths, but the FDA lifted that hold in January 2026 (the EU hold remained), and in April 2026 the FDA accepted I-DXd's BLA for previously treated extensive-stage small cell lung cancer with Priority Review (PDUFA action date October 10, 2026). Raludotatug deruxtecan (R-DXd, CDH6-targeted) completed dose optimization in the REJOICE-Ovarian01 study (5.6 mg/kg selected) and advanced to the Phase 3 portion in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.