Shots:

• Merck acquired Calporta- in the all-cash transaction making a total deal value ~$576M including an up front payment and contingent milestone payments
• The focus of the collaboration is to gain a preclinical portfolio of small-molecule TRPML1 agonists which are being evaluated for lysosomal storage and neurodegenerative disorders- including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease
• Avalon Ventures and GSK launched Calporta in 2015 as part of their collaborative effort to found up to 10 biotech companies. TRPML1 is a lysosomal ion channel- by activating it signaling with small molecules could re-establish lysosomal processes and restore cellular function

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Ref: Businesswire | Image: Merck