UTRECHT, The Netherlands and BOSTON, Oct. 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Merus N.V. (Nasdaq: MRUS) (“Merus”, “we”, “our” or the “Company”), a clinical-stage bispecific antibody company developing Biclonics®, innovative full-length human bispecific antibody therapeutics, today announced that data from its MCLA-128 and MCLA-129 programs will be presented at the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics being held October 26-30, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. 

Presentation and Poster Details: 

MCLA-128

Presentation
Title: Clinical proof-of-concept for MCLA-128, a bispecific HER2/3 antibody therapy, in NRG1 fusion-positive cancers
Authors:  Alison M Schram, Eileen M O'Reilly, Romel Somwar, Ryma Benayed, Sara Shameem, Thrusha Chauhan, Jean Torrisi, Jim Ford,
David Maussang, Ernesto Wasserman, Marc Ladanyi, David M Hyman, L Andres Sirulnik, Alexander E Drilon
Session: Spotlight on Proffered Papers 1
Location: Level 3 - Ballroom AB
Date and Time: Sunday, October 27, 2019 at 11:50 AM

Poster
Title: Clinical proof-of-concept for MCLA-128, a bispecific HER2/3 antibody therapy, in NRG1 fusion-positive cancers
Authors:  Alison M Schram, Eileen M O'Reilly, Romel Somwar, Ryma Benayed, Sara Shameem, Thrusha Chauhan, Jean Torrisi, Jim Ford,
David Maussang, Ernesto Wasserman, Marc Ladanyi, David M Hyman, L Andres Sirulnik, Alexander E Drilon
Session: Late-Breaking Poster Session B: Monoclonal Antibodies
Location:  Hall D, Hynes Convention Center, Board Number: 160
Date and Time: Monday, October 28, 2019 from 12:30 PM – 4:00 PM EST
Permanent Abstract Number: LB-B12

MCLA-129

Poster Title: Preclinical evaluation of MCLA-129: a bispecific antibody targeting c-MET and EGFR
Authors:  Cecile Geuijen, Mario di Matteo, Sarah Trusso Cafarello, Tristan Gallenne, Roy Nijhuis, Therese Visser, Willem Bartelink,
Carina Bartelink-Clements, Berina Eppink, Rinse Klooster, John de Kruif, Massimiliano Mazzone, Mark Throsby
Session: Late-Breaking Poster Session C: Therapeutic Agents: Biological
Location:  Hall D, Hynes Convention Center, Board Number: 154
Date and Time: Tuesday, October 29, 2019 from 12:30PM – 4:00PM EST
Permanent Abstract Number: LB-C07

Company Conference Call and Webcast Information

Merus NV will host a conference call and Q&A on Monday, October 28th, 2019 at 8:00 a.m. ET to discuss the presented materials. To participate in the conference call, please dial (877) 260-1463 (domestic) or (706) 643-5907 (international) and refer to conference ID 7229788. You may also access the call via webcast here.  A replay will be available shortly after the conclusion of the call and archived on the company's website for a limited time.

About MCLA-128

MCLA-128 is an antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (“ADCC”) -enhanced Biclonics® that utilizes Merus Dock & Block® mechanism and inhibits the neuregulin/HER3 tumor-signaling pathway in solid tumors. MCLA-128 is believed to target the HER3 signaling pathway and to overcome the resistance of tumor cells to HER2-targeted therapies using two mechanisms: blocking growth and survival pathways to stop tumor expansion and recruitment and enhancement of immune effector cells to eliminate the tumor. Learn more about MCLA-128 Dock & Block® at https://merus.nl/technology/

About MCLA-129

MCLA-129 is an ADCC-enhanced Biclonics® that inhibits the EGFR and c-MET signaling pathways in solid tumors. Preclinical data has shown that MCLA-129 reverses resistance to tyrosine kinase resistant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines resulting in tumor growth inhibition in xenograft models of NSCLC. MCLA-129 is designed to have two complementary mechanisms of action: blocking growth and survival pathways to stop tumor expansion and recruitment and enhancement of immune effector cells to eliminate the tumor.

About Merus NV

Merus is a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company developing innovative full-length human bispecific antibody therapeutics, referred to as Biclonics®. Biclonics, which are based on the full-length IgG format, are manufactured using industry standard processes and have been observed in preclinical and clinical studies to have several of the same features of conventional human monoclonal antibodies, such as long half-life and low immunogenicity. For additional information, please visit Merus’ website, www.merus.nl.

Forward Looking Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including without limitation statements regarding MCLA-128 and MCLA-129 mechanism of action and potential of Biclonics® in preclinical or clinical development to treat cancer. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the following: our need for additional funding, which may not be available and which may require us to restrict our operations or require us to relinquish rights to our technologies or Biclonics® and bispecific antibody candidates; potential delays in regulatory approval, which would impact our ability to commercialize our product candidates and affect our ability to generate revenue; the lengthy and expensive process of clinical drug development, which has an uncertain outcome; the unpredictable nature of our early stage development efforts for marketable drugs; potential delays in enrollment of patients, including for the treatment of rare subpopulations such as NRG1 fusions, which could affect the receipt of necessary regulatory approvals; our reliance on third parties to conduct our clinical trials and the potential for those third parties to not perform satisfactorily; we may not identify suitable Biclonics® or bispecific antibody candidates under our collaboration with Incyte or any of our other collaborators, or Incyte or any of our other collaborators may fail to perform adequately under our collaborations with them; our reliance on third parties to manufacture our product candidates, which may delay, prevent or impair our development and commercialization efforts; protection of our proprietary technology; our patents may be found invalid, unenforceable, circumvented by competitors and our patent applications may be found not to comply with the rules and regulations of patentability; we may fail to prevail in potential lawsuits for infringement of third-party intellectual property; and our registered or unregistered trademarks or trade names may be challenged, infringed, circumvented or declared generic or determined to be infringing on other marks.

These and other important factors discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), on April 3, 2019, and our other reports filed with the SEC, could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any such forward-looking statements represent management’s estimates as of the date of this press release. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change, except as required under applicable law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

Biclonics® is a registered trademark of Merus N.V.

Investor and Media Inquiries:

Jillian Connell
Merus N.V.
Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
617-955-4716
j.connell@merus.nl

Source: Merus N.V.