Overview
FRANKFURT – SEPTEMBER 24, 2021 – McDermott Will & Emery has advised Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany (“MRKDG”) on the out-licensing of a cancer therapy candidate to biotech company Diaccurate. As part of the transaction, MRKDG will take an equity stake in Diaccurate and remains fully committed to the success of the drug candidate, which is in the clinical development stage and has the rare ability to cross the blood-brain barrier. Phase II trials are planned to begin in the second half of 2022.
MRKDG is a leading science and technology company. Headquartered in Darmstadt, Germany, it specializes in the healthcare, life science and electronics sectors. The company has around 58,000 employees and generated sales of more than €17.5 billion in 2020.
Diaccurate is a biotech company developing drug candidates in oncology and immunotherapy. The French company was co-founded by Truffle Capital and partners with leading academic and industrial companies, including Institut Pasteur, Institut Paoli-Calmettes and now Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany.
The McDermott team consisted of Dr. Monika Richter (Lead, Corporate/Transactions) in Frankfurt, Anthony Paronneau (Corporate/Transactions) and Bertrand Delafaye (Capital Markets), both in Paris.
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