Merck is set to buy SpringWorks Therapeutics for around $3.9 billion equity value. This move would give Merck an enhanced presence in the U.S. and a good addition of portfolios on rare disease drugs and experimental cancer treatments.
The buyout came ahead of Merck’s anticipated revenue loss from expirations of their patents starting in 2026. Some of these expiring patents are:
- US8128920 (Use of IL-18BP isoforms for the treatment and/or prevention of neurological inflammatory diseases)
- US7951359 (Compositions and methods for therapy or prevention of chemotherapy-induced neuropathy)
- EP1844032 (N-hydroxyamide derivatives and use thereof)
- US7534785 (3,6-dihydro-2-oxo-6H-1,3,4,-thiadiazine derivatives).
Another potential factor behind the acquisition could be Merck’s strategic shift to strengthen its oncology and rare disease pipeline, following recent developments in its drug portfolio: including the discontinuation of trials for a multiple sclerosis (MS) drug in 2023 using a compound evobrutinib, and a head and neck cancer candidate in 2024.
The acquisition along with SpringWorks’ rare tumor portfolio, including treatments for desmoid tumor and the world’s first and only approved therapy of neurofibromatosis type 1, is expected to drive near-term revenue growth and could generate up to $1.6 billion annually by 2030.
This article explores Springworks Therapeutics’ patents and patent activity that may offer insights into $3.9B acquisition.
Merck and SpringWorks
Founded in 1668 in Germany as a pharmacy, Merck KGaA has evolved into a global science and technology company with strengths in healthcare, life science, and electronics. Among its notable products is tepotinib (sold under the brand name Tepmetko®), which is used for treating non-small cell lung cancer in adults. This formulation is supported by U.S. Patent No. 8,329,692.
SpringWorks Therapeutics on the other hand is a U.S.-based biopharmaceutical company founded in 2017. It went public in 2019 and is now known for its strong pipeline of groundbreaking medicines for rare diseases and cancer such as a TEAD inhibitor in a phase 1 trial for hippo mutant tumors, and a PP2A activator in a pre-clinical trial for rare uterine cancers.
SpringWorks Patenting Activity
SpringWorks’ saw a significant increase in patenting activity in 2021 and 2022, primarily driven by their filings related to various medicinal compounds and treatment methods. The peak occurred in 2022, largely due to patents for their cancer drugs such as US20240180874 for Ogsiveo® (nirogacestat) and US11806321 for Gomekli® (mirdametinib).
The filings also coincided with the submission of nirogacestat’s drug application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the publication of phase I/II evaluation of mirdametinib for treating children, adolescents, and young adults with low-grade glioma.
SpringWorks: Patents by jurisdiction
The majority of SpringWorks’ filings are in the United States (64), followed by filings under the PCT system (26), Europe (25), and Australia (22). This global patent strategy highlights the company’s focus on securing broad protection for its innovations, particularly in key markets for rare disease and oncology treatments.
SpringWorks: Top Technology Areas
Most of SpringWorks’ filings fall under categories A61K, A61P and C07D which are associated with medical devices and chemical compounds. This reflects SpringWorks’ focus on biopharmaceutics, particularly in developing cancer drugs and treatment methods.
SpringWorks Therapeutics: Top Law Firms
The majority of SpringWorks’ filings are represented by law firms in the U.S. The top law firms in the U.S. are Blank Rome LLP leading both U.S. and worldwide, followed by Sterne Kessler Goldstein & Fox placing second in the U.S. and fourth worldwide.
SpringWorks also has different legal representatives from Australia, Europe, Israel, and parts of Asia. FB Rice Pty. Ltd. handles filings in Australia followed by Nederlandsch Octrooibureau in Europe and Sanford T. Colb & Co. for Israel. Deacons, Hanol Intellectual Property & Law, and Shiga International Patent Office lead the handling of patents in Asia within their respective countries.
The Patents Behind Gomekli® and Ogsiveo®
Gomekli® and Ogsiveo® are SpringWorks Therapeutics’ prized breakthroughs in cancer medicine. The generic name of Ogsiveo® is nirogacestat and was approved by the U.S. FDA on November 27, 2023. It is used for treating adult patients with progressing desmoid tumors and is still undergoing phase 2 trial for pediatric desmoid tumors.
Gomekli® on the other hand, with a generic name mirdametinib, got its approval on February 11, 2025, making it SpringWorks’ most recent approved cancer medicine. It is used for treating both adult and pediatric neurofibromatosis-1 (NF1) associated plexiform neurofibroma (NF1-PN).
Nirogacestat’s Synthesis
U.S. Patent No. 12,234,210 titled “Synthesis of nirogacestat” presents a disclosure on making nirogacesat for treating tumors or cancers with a chemical name (S)-2-(((S)-6,8-difluoro-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalen-2-yl)amino)-N-(1-(2-methyl-1-(neopentylamino)propan-2-yl)-1H-imidazol-4-yl)pentanamide.
The patent discloses a process for making nirogacesat which involves combining a norvaline moiety “Compound 9” with 1,1’-carbonyldiimidazole to form an activated anhydride “Compound 10”. Compound 10 is then combined with an imidazole amine “Compound 11” to produce the end product.
U.S. Patent No. 12,234,210 was filed on April 20, 2023 with Blank Rome LLP as SpringWork’s representative. It was granted on February 25, 2025, and Kristin Patterson and Mark Hatcher are listed as the inventors.
Results of using nirogacestat
Treatment using nirogacestat was disclosed in the U.S. Patent No. 11,938,116. The method describes that 150mg (free base equivalent dose) of nirogacestat is administered to a patient orally twice a day.
The administration of nirogacestat requires some conditions to be met, patients experiencing grade 3 diarrhea, folliculitis, maculopapular rash, hidradenitis, hypophosphatemia, hypokalemia, or alanine transaminase or aspartate aminotransferase levels 3 to 5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) must pause treatment until symptoms resolve to grade 1 or levels return to within ULN. Once resolved, the medication resumes at a reduced dose of 100mg taken twice daily.
As shown with the example study included in the patent, adult patients showed a 29% response rate, substantial tumor reduction, and ceased tumor progression with nirogacestat treatment.
The patent was represented by Blank Rome LLP. It was filed on October 20, 2023 and was granted on March 26, 2024. The listed inventors are Allison Lim, Shinta Cheng, Todd Webster Shearer, Rex Williams and Kristin Patterson.
Compositions of mirdametinib
Disclosed in the U.S. Patent No. 11,884,610 (‘610) is the composition of mirdametinib for treating tumors or cancers such as melanoma, or RASopathy disorder. Such pharmaceutical compositions described are in the form of a dispersible tablet, powder, granule, minitablet, or pellet administered on a 28-day dosing cycle.
The chemical name of mirdametinib is N—((R)-2,3-dihydroxypropoxy)-3,4-difluoro-2-(2-fluoro-4-iodo-phenylamino)-benzamide. One scheme presented in ‘610 for obtaining mirdametinib is by reacting PD-0315209 (FIPFA) and PD-0337792 (IPGA) with a coupling reagent T3P to obtain 901 Acetonide. The acetonide is then treated with acid to form mirdametinib.
The ‘610 patent was filed on June 6, 2022 and was granted on January 30, 2024. The listed inventors are Kristin Patterson, Jiping Liu, Ricky Wayne Couch, Peter Gregory Varlashkin, Mai Li and Yonghong Gan. Blank Rome LLP, represented SpringWorks in the patent filing.
Mirdametinib’s treatment and performance
U.S. Patent No. 11,806,322 (‘322) entitled “Mirdametinib treatment” describes a method for treating certain types of tumors or cancers such as plexiform neurofibromas (PN) and NF1-PN through oral administration of a prescribed amount of mirademetinib to a patient.
The method of treatment according to ‘322 comprises an oral administration of mirdametinib twice a day, ranging from 1 mg to 4 mg depending on the patient’s body surface area. Over each four week period, the drug is also given for the first three weeks then discontinued for the remaining.
According to the example study presented in the patent, the method resulted in a reduced pain intensity and interference, a minimum of 20% decrease in tumor size and response rates ranging from at least 70% to 95% in patients aged 2 to 18 years.
The patent was filed on March 16, 2023 and was granted on November 7, 2023. Blank Rome LLP represented this patent with Uchenna H. Iloeje, Abraham J. Langseth, and Todd Sheerer listed as inventors.
Post-acquisition outlook
After the news of the potential Merck acquisition broke out February 2025, SpringWorks’ shares surged 34%,raising the company’s market value over $4 billion. According to Global Data’s Pharma Intelligence Center, by 2030, Gomekli® is expected to make $564 million in sales, while Ogsiveo® will reach $1.2 billion. This deal marks a shift for both companies. For SpringWorks, integration with Merck would provide resources and global reach to advance its pipeline, especially in rare cancers. For Merck KGaA, the deal would strengthen its oncology portfolio with SpringWorks’ promising cancer therapies.
