balance our pipeline with breakthrough science. Acceleron’s innovative research has yielded an exciting late-stage candidate that complements and strengthens our growing cardiovascular portfolio and pipeline and holds the potential to build upon Merck’s proud legacy in cardiovascular disease.”
The deal is scheduled to conclude in the fourth quarter of 2021, and it is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory clearances. Merck will benefit from the agreement by gaining access to Acceleron’s primary treatment candidate, sotatercept. This treatment has the capacity to enhance clinical outcomes in individuals with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a progressive blood vessel disease that can be fatal.
Sotatercept is now being investigated in Phase III clinical studies as an adjunct treatment to the present standard of care for individuals with PAH. Reblozyl (luspatercept-aamt), a first-in-class erythroid maturation recombinant fusion protein, is also part of Acceleron’s portfolio. Reblozyl has been approved for the treatment of anemia in individuals with certain uncommon blood diseases in Europe, Australia, the United States, and Canada.
