Merck is conducting clinical studies of drugs and drug combinations that could expand its presence in prostate cancer.it just hit a $290 million deal Add another.
The payment is an upfront payment to Finland-based Orion, which has a small molecule designed to treat advanced prostate cancer by following a new target. The drug, ODM-208, is currently in Phase 2 testing, and Orion has been looking ahead to Phase 3. Under the new partnership announced Wednesday, Orion and Merck will share late-stage clinical development as well as a commercialized prostate cancer drug if it is approved.
Merck already has a strong presence in the market for drugs to treat advanced prostate cancer. The company has a commercialization agreement with AstraZeneca covering the company’s drug Lynparza. In 2020, the drug Add to Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer is on its list of FDA-approved indications. Lynparza is part of a class of drugs called PARP inhibitors, which target only patients whose tumors have a specific genetic profile. The deal with Orion gives Merck an opportunity to offer another approach.
The growth of certain cancers, such as prostate cancer, is driven by hormones. Hormone therapy, which blocks the production of these hormones, is part of current treatment options for these cancers. ODM-208 is designed to block CYP11A1, an enzyme that plays a key role in steroid hormone production. According to Orion, the drug is the first to work through this mechanism.In its 2021 Financial Statementsthe company said ODM-208 has the potential to treat cancers that are resistant to standard hormone therapy.
Although Orion and Merck are now equal partners in the development of ODM-208, the agreement gives the pharmaceutical giant the option to obtain an exclusive worldwide license to the molecule. If Merck exercises this option, it will assume full responsibility for development and commercialization costs. Orion will be eligible for milestone payments, as well as royalties from approved product sales. No financial details were disclosed about the option or milestone, but Dean Lee, president of Merck Research Laboratories, sees the Orion drug as a promising new approach to hormone therapy.
“Targeting CYP11A1 provides a compelling approach to inhibit steroid hormone production, a key driver of prostate cancer,” Li said in a prepared statement. “We believe ODM-208 has the potential to complement our existing prostate cancer program and look forward to working with Orion’s team.”
Not all of Merck’s research efforts in prostate cancer have been successful. In March, the company stop A phase 3 study tested Lynparza in combination with its blockbuster cancer immunotherapy Keytruda in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. The decision to discontinue the study came after an interim analysis found that the combination did not improve overall survival compared with the control group.
The long-term alliance with Eisai covers the development and commercialization of Lenvima, a small molecule designed to block enzymes called tyrosine kinases. The combination of Lenvima and Keytruda has reached Phase 3 testing in 14 tumor types, including prostate cancer. In another alliance, Merck is working with antibody drug conjugation specialist Seagen. The study covered testing of one of the company’s drugs, ladiratuzumab vedotin, alone and in combination with Keytruda. One such study is a phase 2 trial evaluating the drug combination in solid tumors, including prostate cancer.
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