Merck KGaA Forms $2 Billion Neurological Disease Pact with Skyhawk Therapeutics

Merck KGaA has entered into a strategic partnership with Skyhawk Therapeutics to discover and develop RNA-targeting small molecule drugs for neurological diseases123.

The collaboration could be worth over $2 billion to Skyhawk through milestone payments and tiered royalties if successful drugs reach the market123.

Skyhawk will use its proprietary SkySTAR RNA splicing platform to identify potential small-molecule drug candidates, focusing on challenging disease targets selected by Merck12.

Skyhawk will lead discovery and preclinical development, while Merck KGaA can exercise options to take successful candidates into clinical development and commercialization123.

The specific neurological disorders targeted were not disclosed, but the partnership aims to expand the potential of RNA modulation in difficult-to-treat diseases1.

Merck cited RNA splicing modulation as an exciting new frontier and highlighted Skyhawk’s expertise as the rationale for the partnership123.

Sources:

1. https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/merck-kgaa-swoops-2b-neurological-disease-pact-skyhawk

2. https://www.morningstar.com/news/pr-newswire/20250818ne52626/skyhawk-therapeutics-announces-strategic-collaboration-with-merck-kgaa-darmstadt-germany-to-discover-novel-rna-targeting-small-molecules-for-neurological-disorders

3. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/skyhawk-therapeutics-announces-strategic-collaboration-with-merck-kgaa-darmstadt-germany-to-discover-novel-rna-targeting-small-molecules-for-neurological-disorders-302531254.html