Merck KGaA (MKGAF) (MKGAY) and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced a global collaboration to jointly develop and commercialize M7824, a TGF-beta. As per the terms of the agreement, Merck KGaA will receive 300M Euros, in the form of an upfront payment, 500M Euros, contingent on clinical success in lung cancer, and a further 2.9B Euros, contingent on certain approval and commercial performance targets.
The deal represents a signal of increased confidence in the mechanistic properties of the TGF-beta class as potential next-wave Immune Therapy treatment. The deal also demonstrates GSK’s clear conviction to