Pharma BD Deal Intelligence
Merck acquired Modifi Biosciences for $1.3B for immunology and oncology.
Why Merck rolled the dice on an unbelievable early-stage brain cancer drug from Yale spinout Modifi Biosciences targeting glioblastoma.
Merck agrees to terms to acquire Modifi Biosciences Yale spinout for novel cancer therapeutics.
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In October 2024 Merck (NYSE: MRK) acquired Modifi Biosciences, a Yale University spinout, for $30 million upfront in cash plus up to $1.3 billion in contingent milestone payments to former shareholders. The deal gives Merck Modifi's lead candidate MOD-246 (academically KL-50), an orally available, temozolomide-derived small molecule designed to kill cancer cells that lack the DNA-repair protein MGMT (O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase) by inducing DNA interstrand crosslinks while sparing healthy tissue. The lead indication is MGMT-deficient glioblastoma, an area with no novel approvals in roughly two decades. At acquisition the program was preclinical; as of December 2025 IND-enabling studies were ongoing and the asset had not yet entered the clinic, with first-in-human dosing projected for 2026.
| Deal | Year | Value | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merck & Co. Inc. / Modifi Biosciences (this deal) | 2024 | $1.3B | 49 |
| Merck & Co. Inc. / Acceleron Pharma Inc. | 2021 | $11.5B | 90 |
| Merck & Co. Inc. / Peloton Therapeutics Inc. | 2019 | $2.2B | 88 |
| Merck & Co. Inc. / AstraZeneca PLC | 2017 | $8.5B | 87 |
| Merck & Co. Inc. / Moderna, Inc. | 2022 | $250M | 86 |
| Merck & Co. Inc. / Moderna, Inc. | 2016 | $250M | 84 |
| Merck & Co. Inc. / Eisai Co., Ltd. | 2018 | $5.8B | 83 |
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More: 2024 deals · Merck & Co. Inc. deals · Immunology deals