Merck KGaA Abandons BTK Inhibitor Program, Emphasizes External Innovation

1. Merck KGaA has decided to withdraw from the BTK inhibitor race after their candidate, evobrutinib, failed to surpass Sanofi's Aubagio in two phase 3 multiple sclerosis (MS) clinical trials in December 2023.
2. The failure of evobrutinib led to a one-time cost of €95 million ($103.5 million) for Merck KGaA, which was counterbalanced by sales momentum and income from the PD-L1 antibody Bavencio.
3. Despite this setback, Merck KGaA CEO Belén Garijo stated that the company will remain focused on driving their existing product portfolio while increasing options for their pipeline through external innovation strategies.
4. Other major pharmaceutical companies like Sanofi, Biogen, Novartis, and Roche have also been involved in developing BTK inhibitors for smoldering MS and chronic inflammation linked to progressive symptoms.
5. Prior to the phase 3 readouts, Merck KGaA had high hopes for evobrutinib and planned significant commercialization efforts.
6. Merck KGaA has reaffirmed its commitment to fostering innovation across all three diversified business sectors: Life Science, Healthcare, and Electronics.