MSD Licenses Cardiovascular Drug from Hengrui Pharma
MSD (Merck & Co.) and Hengrui Pharma recently announced that they have entered into an exclusive license agreement for HRS-5346, an investigational oral small molecule Lipoprotein(a) inhibitor.
This drug is currently being evaluated in a Phase 2 clinical trial in China.
Dean Y. Li, President, MSD Research Laboratories, commented, “HRS-5346, an investigational oral small molecule inhibitor of Lp(a) formation, is an important addition that expands and complements our cardio-metabolic pipeline.”
Under the agreement, Hengrui Pharma has granted MSD exclusive rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize HRS-5346 worldwide, excluding the Greater China region. Hengrui Pharma will receive an upfront payment of $200 million (~€183 million) and is eligible to receive milestone payments associated with certain development, regulatory, and commercial milestones up to $1.77 billion (~€1.62 billion), as well as royalties on net sales of HRS-5346, if approved.
“We are pleased to partner with MSD, a global leader in cardiovascular care. We believe MSD’s clinical expertise and global scale will help accelerate the development of HRS-5346 and potentially provide more patients with an additional option to reduce their risk of atherosclerosis,” added Frank Jiang, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of Hengrui Pharma.
Closing of the transaction is subject to approval and other conditions. It is expected to close in Q2 2025. MSD anticipates a pre-tax charge of $200 million (~€183 million), or ~$0.06 per share, to be included in GAAP and non-GAAP results in the quarter the transaction closes.
