Merck's Second-Generation BTK Inhibitor MK-1026 Granted Clinical Trial Approval in China for Hematologic Malignancies

The Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) announced that MSD's Class 1 innovative drug, MK-1026 tablets, has received implied approval for two clinical trials and is to be developed for the treatment of hematological malignancies.

Screenshot source: CDE Official Website

According to publicly available information, MK-1026 (ARQ 531) is a second-generation Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, acquired by MSD through its $2.7 billion acquisition of ArQule. Globally, this candidate drug is currently in Phase 2 clinical trials.