Merck & Co. Inc. is making a high-stakes move in the cardiovascular drug market, announcing on Tuesday an exclusive licensing deal with Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. The agreement, which sees Merck shelling out up to $2 billion, positions the company at the forefront of tackling a major global heart disease risk.
Big Money, Big Potential
Under the terms of the deal, Merck will pay Hengrui Pharma an upfront sum of $200 million, with the potential for an additional $1.77 billion in milestone payments tied to key regulatory, development, and commercial achievements.
At the heart of this deal is HRS-5346, an investigational oral small molecule targeting Lipoprotein(a) or Lp(a)—a notorious cardiovascular risk factor impacting roughly one in five adults worldwide. The drug is currently undergoing Phase 2 clinical trials in China.
“Elevated Lp(a) levels significantly increase the likelihood of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease,” said Dean Y. Li, president of Merck Research Laboratories. “HRS-5346 is a vital addition to our cardio-metabolic pipeline and strengthens our commitment to tackling this pressing global health issue.”
