Merck Serono collaborates with China's BeiGene on second-generation BRAF Inhibitor

31 May 2013

Merck Serono, a division of Germany’s Merck KGaA (MRK: DE), today (May 31) announced that it has signed a global licensing, co-development and commercialization agreement with BeiGene Co, a biotech R&D company in Beijing, China, for BeiGene-283.

The compound is a second-generation BRAF inhibitor for the treatment of cancer that is currently in preclinical development and is expected to enter clinical development next year. It was discovered and developed in the People’s Republic of China by BeiGene. BRAF inhibitors target a protein (BRAF) that is a downstream component of the MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) signaling pathway, which is thought to promote cancer cell growth and is dysregulated in a number of human cancers.

Merck to make upfront payment, plus milestones

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