Merck Licenses China-Origin KRAS G12D Inhibitor SPR2015 for $400M Upfront
- Merck & Co. entered an exclusive global license agreement with Shanghai-based SciBrunch Therapeutics for SPR2015, an investigational oral KRAS G12D molecular-glue inhibitor.
- SciBrunch will receive $400 million upfront, with total deal value up to $2.13 billion including milestone payments.
- The deal reflects a growing trend of U.S. pharma companies in-licensing China-originated oncology assets.
💡 Points
This plugs Merck's biggest KRAS gap: everyone's crowded into G12C, but G12D — more common in pancreatic and colorectal cancer — has stayed stubbornly undrugged with covalent chemistry. A molecular-glue approach, if it works, sidesteps that entirely. The modest 19% upfront-to-total ratio signals early-stage derisking, not a validated asset — expect Western rivals to scramble for the remaining China-origin G12D candidates.