MoonLake Immunotherapeutics Licenses Skin and Joint Treatment from Merck KGaA

MoonLake Immunotherapeutics has licensed Merck KGaA’s investigational drug sonelokimab (M1095) for several dermatology and rheumatology indications.

Sonelokimab, which uses a novel therapeutic platform known as a nanobody, has “game-changing potential” for treating a range of interleukin-17A/F-driven inflammatory diseases, said Kristian Reich, chief scientific officer and co-founder of MoonLake. The company launched earlier this year.

A Zug, Switzerland-based startup, Moonlake is preparing sonelokimab for multiple phase 2 trials set to launch soon. They will evaluate the drug for inflammatory conditions, such as psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis, an inflammatory arthritis affecting the spine and large joints.