Two years ago, Orion began collaborating with Merck on enzyme-inhibition ideas thought potentially-useful in prostate cancers. That has turned out to be the case. In spades.
So, Rahway is both expanding the spend, inking a JV agreement and getting an exclusive license from Orion, in the field of oncology — on several potential next-gen candidates. Here is Fierce’s coverage of it, and a bit:
…Merck is expanding a research partnership with Orion into an exclusive licensing pact, putting more than $1.6 billion biobucks on the table for cancer candidates targeting CYP11A1, an enzyme important in steroid production.
The initial deal, inked back in 2022, centered on Orion’s opevesostat, a clinical-stage CYP11A1 inhibitor designed to treat prostate cancer. At the time, Merck dished out $290 million upfront to help co-develop and co-commercialize the oral, nonsteroidal drug.
Now, the companies are exercising the option to alter the pact into a licensing agreement, giving Merck exclusive global licensing rights to opevesostat and other CYP11A1 programs….
Now you know — and I should note that almost a decade ago now, we let you know that Orion had succeeded in making a generic version of Remicade — and was stealing lots of market share all over the continent (from a prior J/V with J&J that Merck inherited from Schering-Plough). My, how times have changed… onward, grinning — in spite of the day’s more muddled, and even worrisome… news.
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