Merck (MSd) has completed the acquisition of EyeBio, making it a wholly-owned subsidiary, and bolstering its ophthalmology portfolio.
The deal, which was announced earlier this year, is valued at up to US$3b and includes an upfront cash payment of US$1.3b.
Under the deal terms, Merck, through a subsidiary, has acquired all the outstanding shares of the UK-based biotech.
The acquisition includes EyeBio’s lead asset Restoret (EYE-103), a tetravalent, tri-specific antibody that targets the Wingless-related integration site (Wnt) signalling pathway.
This asset has potential applications in diabetic macular oedema (DMO) and neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).
The acquisition includes EyeBio’s lead asset Restoret (EYE-103), a tetravalent, tri-specific antibody that targets the Wingless-related integration site (Wnt) signalling pathway.
Restoret, administered as an intravitreal injection, aims to restore the blood-retinal barrier by activating the Wnt pathway.
Following positive results from the open-label Phase 1b/2a AMARONE study in patients with DMOE and nAMD, Restoret is poised to progress into a significant Phase 2b/3 trial for diabetic macular edema (DME) in the latter half of 2024.
EyeBio’s pipeline also features other clinical and preclinical assets aimed at preventing and treating vision loss due to retinal vascular leakage, a common risk factor in retinal diseases.
Merck Research Laboratories President Dr Dean Li said: “The EyeBio acquisition further diversifies our late-stage pipeline with the addition of a promising candidate based on novel biology and genetics for the treatment of certain retinal diseases.”
Source
Merck, Merck Completes Acquisition of EyeBio (media release, 12 July 2024) available at: merck.com/news/merck-completes-acquisition-of-eyebio/ [accessed 17 July 2024].
