Pharma BD Deal Intelligence
Outcome grade pending — assessed 5 years post-close.
Full analysis, sources & comparables →Merck KGaA picked up VX-970 plus VX-803 and two preclinical DDR programs to become a leader in DNA damage and repair, betting on biomarker-driven combinations…
EMD Serono ended the Phase 2 DDRiver SCLC 250 trial of berzosertib in relapsed platinum-resistant SCLC after an interim analysis showed low probability of…
DDR inhibitor class faced biomarker challenges; ATR programs from Merck KGaA, AstraZeneca, Bayer/Repare and Artios all struggled to identify patient…
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All 6 sources with sentiment breakdown →
Vertex licensed worldwide rights to four oncology research programs (two clinical-stage ATR inhibitors VX-970 and VX-803 plus two preclinical DDR programs) to Merck KGaA. Vertex received $230M upfront plus up to ~$1B in development/commercial milestones plus tiered royalties up to 25% on clinical-stage programs (less than 10% on preclinical). The deal allowed Vertex to focus on cystic fibrosis and gene editing.
| Deal | Year | Value | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merck KGaA / Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (this deal) | 2017 | $1.2B | — |
| Merck KGaA / Millipore Corporation | 2010 | $7.2B | 88 |
| Merck KGaA / Sigma-Aldrich Corporation | 2014 | $17.0B | 80 |
| Merck KGaA / Versum Materials | 2019 | $5.8B | 80 |
| Merck KGaA / Serono SA | 2006 | $13.2B | 74 |
| Merck KGaA / SpringWorks Therapeutics | 2025 | $3.4B | 72 |
| Merck KGaA / Threshold Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 2012 | $550M | — |
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More: 2017 deals · Merck KGaA deals · Oncology deals