Merck Pays $400M Upfront for Global Rights to Preclinical KRAS G12D Inhibitor
MRK sits 92% above its 52-week low of $77.58.
Summary
Merck has secured exclusive global rights to SPR2015, a preclinical oral KRAS G12D (ON) inhibitor from SciBrunch Therapeutics, for a $400 million upfront payment and up to $2.13 billion in total milestones. The deal adds a promising precision oncology asset targeting one of the most common KRAS mutations in pancreatic, colorectal, and lung cancers. Merck will take a $400 million pre-tax charge (~$0.13 per share) in Q3 2026, a modest hit relative to its $367 billion market cap. This follows a string of positive pipeline and regulatory wins for Merck, including Keytruda approvals and the INTerpath-001 trial success, reinforcing its oncology franchise. The transaction has closed, and SPR2015 is expected to enter clinical development under Merck's oversight.
Updates
· Dow Jones Newswires — The deal has closed, and Merck will record a $400 million pretax charge, or about 13 cents a share, in the third quarter.
At the time of this announcement, MRK was trading at $149.00 on NYSE in the Life Sciences sector, with a market capitalization of approximately $367.1B. The 52-week trading range was $77.58 to $156.92. This news item was assessed with positive market sentiment and an importance score of 9 out of 10. Source: BusinessWire.