Updates on Programs Underlying Potential Milestone Payments and Planned Dissolution
On February 13, 2024, we announced that Ipsen S.A. announced it had received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, to market ONIVYDE as a first-line treatment of metastatic adenocarcinoma on the pancreas. As a result of this approval by the FDA, we are entitled to receive a $225 million milestone payment from Ipsen, which is expected to be received by the end of March 2024.
Merrimack’s Board of Directors has evaluated the likelihood of receiving additional milestone payments under the Ipsen Agreement and from the 2019 Agreement with Elevation Oncology and has concluded that it is unlikely that any additional milestone payments from either agreement will become payable. The Plan of Dissolution will include establishment of a liquidating trust for the benefit of stockholders in the unlikely event that Merrimack might receive any future milestone payments from Ipsen or Elevation Technology.
About Merrimack
Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts that is entitled to receive up to $450.0 million in contingent milestone payments related to its sale of Onivyde® to Ipsen S.A. in April 2017. $225 million of these potential milestone payments are tied to the first line metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma potential indication and are expected to be received by the end of March. The remaining milestone payments consist of $150 million tied to the small cell lung cancer potential indication and $75 million is tied to other potential applications Ipsen may elect to pursue. These milestone payments would be payable by Ipsen upon approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) of Onivyde for certain additional clinical indications. Merrimack’s agreement with Ipsen does not require Ipsen to provide Merrimack with any information on the progress of Onivyde clinical trials that is not publicly available. Merrimack is also entitled to receive up to $54.5 million in contingent milestone payments related to its sale of anti-HER3 programs to Elevation Oncology (formerly 14ner Oncology, Inc.) in July 2019.
Forward Looking Statements
To the extent that statements contained in this press release are not descriptions of historical facts, they are forward-looking statements reflecting the current beliefs and expectations of management made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Forward-looking statements include any statements about Merrimack’s strategy, future operations, future financial position, future revenues and future expectations and plans and prospects for Merrimack, and any other statements containing the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “target,” “potential,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “continue” and similar expressions. In this press release, Merrimack’s forward-looking statements include, among others, Merrimack’s rights to receive payments related to certain milestone events or whether such milestones will be achieved, if at all, the sufficiency of Merrimack’s cash resources and Merrimack’s strategic plan, including any potential distribution of additional cash to Merrimack’s shareholders. Such forward-looking statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause Merrimack’s future results, performance or achievements to differ