Merck KGaA Bags Exclusive Rights To Develop, Sell Debiopharm’s Xevinapant

The IAP antagonist Is In Phase III Trials For Head And Neck Cancer

Germany’s Merck has licensed exclusive rights to develop and sell Debiopharm’s potential first-in-class inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAP) antagonist, targeting head and neck cancers.

Brain Scan
Merck will use its expertise in head and neck cancer to advance xevinapant. • Source: Shutterstock

Merck KGaA believes its expertise in head and neck cancer will help it develop and eventually commercialize xevinapant, a potent oral inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAP) antagonist that it is licensing exclusively from Switzerland's Debiopharm S.A..

Xevinapant is the first IAP antagonist with breakthrough therapy designation (BTD) from the US Food and Drug Administration for previously...

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