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Merck Acquires Novel Neurodegenerative Disease Target With Calporta Buy

 
• By Mandy Jackson

The deal worth up to $576m gives Merck what Calporta founding investor Avalon believes is the most advanced program targeting TRPML1, a lysosomal ion channel implicated in neurodegenerative diseases when the lysosome stops clearing debris from cells.

Neurodegenerative disease, neural system and memory problems concept 3d rendering. - Illustration
Merck gets a preclinical candidate for neurodegenerative diseases in Calporta deal. • Source: Shutterstock

Avalon Ventures managing director Jay Lichter said it was surprising when Merck & Co. Inc. was one of the first and most aggressive pursuers of the venture capital firm’s Calporta Therapeutics Inc., which is focused on neurodegenerative diseases, but the big pharma proved to be the most committed partner for the start-up’s lead program. COI Pharmaceuticals, the incubator for Avalon’s new life science companies, announced the sale of Calporta to Merck for up to $576m on 13 November. 

Four-year-old Calporta was launched as part of Avalon’s partnership with GlaxoSmithKline PLC, which was designed to fund up to 10 new drug development firms, with an option to buy

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