Merck (known as MSD outside the United States and Canada) has ended its development partnership with Dr Falk Pharma concerning MK-8690, an investigational monoclonal antibody candidate.
MK-8690 (formerly PRA-059) is an investigational anti-CD30 ligand monoclonal antibody originally developed under a co-development and co-commercialisation agreement between Dr Falk Pharma and Prometheus BioSciences, signed in 2020. Prometheus BioSciences was later acquired by Merck in 2023.
Under the revised agreement, Dr Falk Pharma and Prometheus BioSciences, now a Merck subsidiary, have ended the collaborative development arrangement. Merck will assume full global rights and sole responsibility for advancing MK-8690’s clinical development. The company has already initiated an early-stage clinical trial to evaluate the candidate’s efficacy and safety profile.
In exchange for relinquishing its rights to MK-8690, Dr Falk Pharma will receive an upfront payment of $150m and will remain eligible for additional payments tied to development milestones and royalties on potential future sales in certain markets.