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Merck acquired VelosBio for $2.75B for antibody-drug conjugate targeting ROR1.
Merck announced initiation of the Phase 3 waveLINE-010 trial evaluating zilovertamab vedotin plus R-CHP vs R-CHOP in ~1,046 previously untreated DLBCL patients.
Merck to acquire VelosBio for $2.75 billion in cash, gaining VLS-101, a first-in-class antibody-drug conjugate targeting ROR1 for hematologic malignancies and…
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Merck (NYSE: MRK) acquired VelosBio for $2.75 billion in cash, with the deal announced November 5, 2020 and completed December 18, 2020. The acquisition gave Merck VelosBio's lead asset, zilovertamab vedotin (VLS-101 / MK-2140), a first-in-class investigational antibody-drug conjugate targeting ROR1, a receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor expressed across hematologic and solid tumors. As of 2025 the program has advanced to pivotal development on the strength of Phase 2 data: the Phase 2 waveLINE-007 trial reported a 100% complete response rate at the 1.75 mg/kg dose in previously untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) (Merck, Dec 2024), prompting initiation of the Phase 3 waveLINE-010 trial (zilovertamab vedotin plus R-CHP vs R-CHOP, ~1,046 patients) in frontline DLBCL in February 2025. In relapsed/refractory DLBCL, the Phase 2 portion of waveLINE-003 showed a 56.3% objective response rate with R-GemOx (ASCO 2025), with the study advancing to its Phase 3 portion. The ROR1 ADC enters a crowded B-cell lymphoma landscape contested by CD20xCD3 bispecifics, CD19 CAR-T, and competing ADCs.
| Deal | Year | Value | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merck & Co. Inc. / VelosBio Inc. (this deal) | 2020 | $2.8B | 62 |
| 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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