As nations become richer, and their citizens consume more high fat foods, the natural progression is toward… later onset heart disease. And while that remains a primary concern in Western Europe and the US especially… China now faces the very same “post modern economy” problem.
So it makes sense that Merck would pay to develop this novel compound, and let this in-country company keep all rights in China, while Rahway gets an exclusive for rest of world. Here’s all of that, from Fierce — as ever:
…[Merck will pay upfronts of] $200 million to China’s Hengrui Pharma for a phase 2-stage lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) inhibitor.
In return for the ex-China rights to the drug, dubbed HRS-5346, Merck has also agreed to pay out up to $1.77 billion in milestone fees on top of tiered royalties should the therapy make it to market.
“Elevated blood concentrations of Lp(a) provides a well-documented risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, affecting as many as one in five adults globally,” Merck Research Laboratories President Dean Li, M.D., Ph.D., said in this morning’s release. “HRS-5346, an investigational oral small molecule inhibitor of Lp(a) formation, is an important addition that expands and complements our cardio-metabolic pipeline.”
Large drugmakers including Merck and Eli Lilly have turned to Chinese biotechs for deals that give them access to new drugs for a cheaper investment, analysts have said….
Now you know. And honestly, I don’t worry much about Xi’s people ever interfering in these deals. They well-know that such meddling would kill the golden goose pipeline. And despite all the mindless bluster… Tangerine 2.0 will never impose meaningful tariffs on non-US manufactured life saving drugs, made by US companies overseas. He just won’t be able to get it done. Onward, grinning.
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