Merck KGaA and Mersana Ink Collaboration and Licensing Deal Over Immunosynthen

Merck KGaA has inked a collaboration and licensing deal with Cambridge, Mass.-based Mersana Therapeutics to use Mersana’s Immunosynthen STING-agonist antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) platform for up to two potential targets.

Immunosynthen works in two ways —through stimulating an immune response and direct antitumor activity. In preclinical testing the technology showed “highly targeted STING activation within both tumor cells and tumor resident myeloid cells while avoiding unwanted systemic effects,” the companies said.

Mersana will receive an upfront payment of $30 million and is eligible to receive up to $800 million in regulatory, development and commercial milestone payments.