Dive Brief:
- Sanofi has agreed that Merrimack will regain worldwide rights to develop and commercialize the monoclonal antibody MM-121.
- MM-121 blocks ErB3 (HER3) activation in patients with heregulin-positive tumors. Various types of cancers have this feature.
- Sanofi and Merrimack are partnering to conduct the Phase II clinical trial program. Sanofi will continue to fund the program for the next six months.
Dive Inisght:
Heregrulin, the main ligand that binds to and activates the HER3 receptor, is implicated in certain types of ovarian cancer, breast cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. Because HER3 is associated with a poor response to standard therapy, blocking its expression by adding MM-121 may render standard therapy more effective. That’s the goal. Robert Mulroy, CEO of Merrimack, believes that MM-121 has the potential to be a foundational therapy for use across multiple cancer types. Next step: Discuss registration paths with FDA.