Friday, August 2, 2024

A Second Collaboration Agreement For Merck With Prelude: Definitively Immaterial, But Good News...


Ahem. Personally, I think the reaction to Rahway's lowered and tightened guidance on non-GAAP earnings is overwrought. From my perspective, this is a chance to buy in at a discount -- created by largely irrational hand-wringing, and a willful blindness to the cash cow of Keytruda, through to the mid 2030s. But what do I know? I'm just one guy with a blog [but one that has closely followed Merck since (checks notes). . . early 2007]. Heh. Anyhoo. . . .

While it is true that the rate of growth of Gardasil sales in China moderated last quarter, that is by no means where the company's earnings wheelhouse really resides. Keytruda is blowing the roof off of expectations, and its margins are. . . world-class. So, I'd not lose any sleep over this dividend giant's momentary speedbump. In fact, if you have free cash -- I might buy more.

That said, we did notice a small Delaware development stage company has now signed a second (terms withheld) deal, to work on combos with the juggernaut pembrolizumab, thus:

. . .The agreement with the $60 billion multinational company aims to evaluate Prelude’s leading cancer drug treatment, particularly in how it interacts with Merck’s blockbuster immunotherapy drug. Terms of the study have not been disclosed, however, Prelude officials predict it will reveal more details once the company has concluded its first phase of the trial on the drug this year.

Partnerships between drug development companies are common, as are some companies with limited financial runway, as it shares the costs and the potential financial gains when discovering new treatments.

Both Prelude and Merck will retain the commercial rights to the drugs involved in the study, but Prelude Chief Medical Officer Jane Huang noted that it has the chance to find positive outcomes for those with rare cancers and diseases. . . .

Prelude has reported that up to 70,000 cancer patients in the United States and European Union who currently have limited treatment options could benefit from the [collab work]. . . .


Yes, this is ALL immaterial. Now you know. Have a great weekend one and all -- baby girls here tonight, then a nephew's b-day celebration, tomorrow. Grin. . . .

नमस्ते

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