Merck and Caris Life Sciences Announce $1.4 Billion Strategic Collaboration to Advance First-in-Class ADC Development

On April 4, Caris Discovery™, the therapeutic research arm of next-generation artificial intelligence biotechnology company Caris Life Sciences, announced a multi-year strategic collaboration with Merck KGaA to accelerate the discovery and development of first-in-class ADCs for cancer patients.

Under the terms of the agreement, Merck will provide Caris with an upfront payment and research funding. Additionally, Caris will be eligible for milestone payments based on discovery, development, regulatory, and sales achievements, potentially totaling up to $1.4 billion. Merck will obtain exclusive global licensing rights for the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of ADC drugs targeting selected antigens.

Caris Life Sciences, founded in 2008, has established large-scale, multi-modal databases and computational capabilities for analyzing and uncovering the molecular complexity of diseases through comprehensive molecular profiling (whole exome and whole transcriptome sequencing) and the application of advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms.

Caris Discovery is committed to integrating its proprietaryADAPT Biotargeting™Platform, patient tissue bank, and a set of complex artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities to discover new, druggable targets that cannot be obtained through traditional methods.

Based on this latest collaboration, targets discovered and validated by Caris will be handled by Merck for preclinical and clinical research, as well as the development and commercialization of candidate drugs.

Brian Lamon, Ph.D., Chief Business Officer of Caris, stated: "We are delighted to collaborate with Merck in discovering potential first-in-class targets and advancing the next wave of transformative ADC drug development."

"Through close collaboration with Caris and utilizing its unique discovery platform, we are complementing our internal capabilities to develop novel first-in-class ADCs, which is expected to enhance our oncology portfolio," said Paul Lyne, Global Head of Oncology Research at Merck Healthcare.

References:

[1]https://www.carislifesciences.com/about/news-and-media/caris-life-sciences-announces-partnership-with-merck-kgaa-darmstadt-germany/