MSD Teams Up with InventisBio on Small-Molecule Oncology Research

Merck & Co., operating as MSD outside the US and Canada, has partnered with China-based InventisBio Co., Ltd. in a bid to advance small-molecule oncology drug candidates through clinical development.

The collaboration will leverage MSD's global R&D infrastructure through its China Innovation Collaboration Center (MCICC) and InventisBio's expertise in small-molecule precision oncology.

MSD established the MCICC in Beijing in 2024 as an open platform focused on early-stage, high-potential programs. The center has teams across Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Wuhan, covering over 20 cancer types within its oncology research portfolio.

InventisBio brings a proven track record to the partnership, having discovered taletrectinib, a next-generation ROS1 inhibitor now approved in the US, China, and Japan for advanced ROS1-positive NSCLC.

The deal marks the fourth formal collaboration signed by MCICC since its launch. MSD has previously partnered with Degron Therapeutics and Hangzhou Medimscience through the same platform structure.