Benzinga | Jul 1, 2021 07:02AM EDT

NGM Amends Collaboration with Merck to Focus Primarily on Advancing Novel Medicines for Retinal and Cardiovascular and Metabolic (CVM) Diseases

* Merck and NGM will continue their research, discovery and development collaboration with a narrower scope, focused primarily on retinal and cardiovascular and metabolic (CVM) targets of interest to Merck

* Merck will continue to advance MK-3655, an FGFR1c/KLB agonistic antibody, currently in an ongoing global Phase 2b clinical trial in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis

* Merck retains its option to license NGM621, an anti-complement C3 antibody, currently in an NGM-led Phase 2 clinical study (CATALINA) in patients with geographic atrophy

* NGM gains worldwide rights to its disclosed oncology portfolio, including NGM120 (anti-GFRAL), NGM707 (anti-ILT2/ILT4) and NGM438 (anti-LAIR1), as well as all undisclosed preclinical and research assets falling outside of the amended collaboration's narrower scope

* Merck will provide approximately $120 million in R&D collaboration funding to NGM through March 2024