June 1, 2022 – Regeneron Pharmaceuticals today announced that it has successfully acquired Checkmate Pharmaceuticals, Inc., deepening its commitment to immuno-oncology and adding a new modality to the company’s portfolio of potential combination-ready approaches for difficult-to-treat cancers.
Checkmate’s lead investigational candidate, vidutolimod, is an advanced generation CpG-A oligodeoxynucleotide Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) agonist delivered in a virus-like particle (VLP) and has demonstrated clinical responses as a monotherapy in patients with PD-1 refractory melanoma.
“As we continue to deepen and expand our efforts in immuno-oncology, the acquisition of Checkmate adds a potentially best-in-class clinical asset, as well as a promising underlying technology platform in the VLP delivery system,” said Leonard S. Schleifer, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Regeneron. “Our increasingly diverse portfolio enables strategic flexibility and creativity as we advance monotherapy and combination candidates for difficult-to-treat cancers. With Libtayo® (cemiplimab) as our anti-PD-1 backbone and a differentiated scientific approach, Regeneron is well positioned to make meaningful progress for people with cancer.”