Sep. 11 at 2:10 PM
$SMMT The attraction to Merck is obvious in my mind.
ivonescimab combines PD-1 + VEGF in one bispecific antibody, and Summit controls development and commercialization across the U.S., Europe, Japan, Canada, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa. The patents currently extend to roughly 2039–2040.
The extraordinary strategic issue for Merck is Keytruda's patent cliff. If ivonescimab ultimately establishes itself as superior to pembrolizumab in major lung-cancer settings, Merck has three choices: compete against it, develop its own PD-(L)1/VEGF successor, or own the company controlling ivonescimab in most major Western markets.
