Abbisko: Germany's Merck Teams Up With Abbisko for Global Sale Rights of Bone-Tumor Drug

By Helena Smolak Merck will partner with Chinese biotech Abbisko Therapeutics to market and sell the bone-tumor treatment pimicotinib globally, expanding its commercialization rights for the drug beyond Asia. The German pharmaceutical company said Friday that it would pay Abbisko an option fee of $85 million. The companies will explore additional indications for pimicotinib, such as chronic graft-versus-host disease--a systemic disorder where transplanted immune cells recognize the recipient's body as foreign--after a recent late-stage study showed that the treatment significantly improved the response rate compared with placebo among patients with tenosynovial giant cell tumor, a benign tumor that grows around the joints. Merck entered into an agreement with Abbisko Therapeutics in 2023 for the commercialization rights in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. Pimicotinib has been granted breakthrough therapy designation by China's National Medical Products Administration and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Write to Helena Smolak at helena.smolak@wsj.com (END) Dow Jones Newswires 03-28-25 0247ET By Helena Smolak Merck will partner with Chinese biotech Abbisko Therapeutics to market and sell the bone-tumor treatment pimicotinib globally, expanding its commercialization rights for the drug beyond Asia. The German pharmaceutical company said Friday that it would pay Abbisko an option fee of $85 million. The companies will explore additional indications for pimicotinib, such as chronic graft-versus-host disease--a systemic disorder where transplanted immune cells recognize the recipient's body as foreign--after a recent late-stage study showed that the treatment significantly improved the response rate compared with placebo among patients with tenosynovial giant cell tumor, a benign tumor that grows around the joints. Merck entered into an agreement with Abbisko Therapeutics in 2023 for the commercialization rights in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. Pimicotinib has been granted breakthrough therapy designation by China's National Medical Products Administration and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Write to Helena Smolak at helena.smolak@wsj.com (END) Dow Jones Newswires 03-28-25 0247ET