Precemtabart tocentecan

Raises Full Year 2026 Revenue and Cash Outlook Driven by Continued Business Momentum Conference Call to Begin Today at 4:30 p.m. ET EMERYVILLE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- OmniAb, Inc. (NASDAQ: OABI), a provider of cutting-edge discovery research technology to enable the discovery of next-generation therapeutics, today reported financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2026, provided operating and partner program progress, and updated 2026 financial guidance. “We are pleased to report a strong quarter and to increase our revenue and cash outlook for 2026 based on continued momentum in our business. Recent updates from partner programs have been very encouraging with important advancements in clinical development,” stated Matt Foehr, Chief Executive Officer of OmniAb. “We continue to efficiently leverage and expand the reach of our core and highly differentiated discovery technologies, as we also focus on our promising xPloration® platform. We recently expanded our executive leadership with the addition of Chief Operating Officer Amechi Nwachuku, who has quickly integrated into our team to drive and strengthen this area. We believe we’re well positioned to accelerate growth, and we look forward to providing business updates and technology highlights and plans at our October Investor and Analyst Day.” Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results Revenue for the second quarter of 2026 was $13.4 million, compared with $3.9 million in the prior-year period, with the increase driven primarily by milestone revenue. Service revenue increased primarily due to the commencement of new ion channel programs, and xPloration revenue increased on higher instrument sales and related consumables. Cost of xPloration revenue was $0.6 million for the second quarter of 2026, compared with $0.3 million for the same period in 2025. The increase was due to increased instrument and consumable sales. Research and development expense was $9.6 million for the second quarter of 2026, compared with $10.9 million for the same period in 2025, with the decrease due to lower personnel expense related to share-based compensation and salary expense and lower facility-related costs. General and administrative expense was $6.7 million for the second quarter of 2026, compared with $7.7 million for the same period in 2025, with the decrease primarily due to lower personnel expense related to share-based compensation and salary expense and lower professional fees. Amortization of intangibles decreased to $3.1 million for the second quarter of 2026, compared with $3.2 million for the same period in 2025. Other operating expense (income) increased to $0.2 million for the second quarter of 2026 from ($1.9) million for the same period in 2025, primarily as a result of a net $2.0 million one-time gain from the sale of a small-molecule program in the second quarter of 2025. Total costs and operating expenses were $20.1 million for the second quarter of 2026, flat with $20.1 million for the same period in 2025. Cash costs and operating expenses were $13.3 million for the second quarter of 2026, compared with $11.9 million for the same period in 2025 (see note regarding "Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measure" below for further discussion of this non-GAAP measure). Net loss for the second quarter of 2026 was $5.9 million, or $0.05 per share, compared with a net loss of $15.9 million, or $0.15 per share, for the same period in 2025. Year-to-Date Financial Results Revenue for the first half of 2026 was $27.8 million, compared with $8.1 million for the same period in 2025, with the increase primarily related to milestone revenue. Service revenue increased primarily due to the commencement of new ion channel programs, and xPloration revenue increased on higher instrument sales and related consumables. Cost of xPloration revenue was $0.6 million for the first half of 2026, compared with $0.3 million for the same period in 2025. The increase was due to increased instrument and consumable sales. Research and development expense was $19.2 million for the first half of 2026, compared with $23.5 million for the same period in 2025, with the decrease due to lower personnel expense related to share-based compensation and salary expense, lower external expenses associated with legacy small-molecule ion channel programs and lower facility-related costs. General and administrative expense was $13.3 million for the first half of 2026, compared with $15.6 million for the same period in 2025, with the decrease primarily due to lower personnel expense related to share-based compensation and salary expense and lower professional fees. Amortization of intangibles increased to $9.1 million for the first half of 2026, compared with $6.5 million for the same period in 2025, primarily due to a $2.9 million non-cash impairment related to the discontinuation of certain legacy small-molecule ion channel programs recorded in the first quarter of 2026. Other operating expense (income) for the first half of 2026 was $0.1 million compared to ($2.7) million for the same period in 2025. The prior-year period included a net $2.0 million one-time gain from the sale of a small-molecule program in the second quarter of 2025. Total costs and operating expenses were $42.3 million for the first half of 2026, compared with $43.1 million for the same period in 2025. Cash costs and operating expenses were $25.5 million for the first half of 2026, compared with $26.6 million for the same period in 2025 (see note regarding "Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measure" below for further discussion of this non-GAAP measure). Net loss for the first half of 2026 was $13.6 million, or $0.11 per share, compared with a net loss of $34.1 million, or $0.32 per share, for the same period in 2025. As of June 30, 2026, OmniAb had cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of $52.0 million. 2026 Financial Guidance OmniAb revises 2026 financial guidance and now expects revenue to be in the range of $32 million to $36 million, versus $28 million to $33 million previously, and costs and operating expenses to be in the range of $84 million to $88 million, versus $83 million to $88 million previously. Cash costs and operating expenses are expected to be in the range of $51 million to $55 million, versus $50 million to $55 million previously (see note regarding "Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measure" below for further discussion of this non-GAAP measure). The Company now expects to end the year with cash and cash equivalents in the range of $37 million to $41 million, versus $33 million to $38 million previously. The full-year 2026 effective tax rate is expected to be approximately 0%. Second Quarter 2026 and Recent Business Highlights During the second quarter of 2026, OmniAb entered into new license agreements with EnRosa Therapeutics and argenx. As of June 30, 2026, the Company had 110 active partners and 425 active programs, including 34 OmniAb-derived programs in clinical development or being commercialized. Business and partner highlights from the second quarter of 2026 and recent weeks included the following: JNJ-5322 Ramantamig (JNJ-79635322), a tri-specific antibody targeting (BCMA x GPRC5D x CD3), has advanced to Phase 3 from Phase 1 clinical trials. The Phase 3 study is randomized study comparing JNJ-79635322 and an anti-BCMAxCD3 bispecific antibody in participants with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received at least three prior lines of therapy including a PI, an IMiD, and an anti CD38 antibody. Precemtabart tocentecan (M9140) Merck KGaA, announced the first patient has been dosed in the Phase 3 PROCEADE®-CRC-03 trial evaluating precemtabart tocentecan, a potential first‑in‑class investigational anti‑CEACAM5 antibody‑drug conjugate (ADC), for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer based on Phase 1 data. The Phase 3 study will assess the efficacy and safety of precemtabart tocentecan, alone or with bevacizumab, in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who are intolerant- or refractory-to, or progressed after, systemic therapies. Phase 1 data from the PROCEADE-CRC-01 study showed predictable and manageable safety in more than 100 patients with heavily pretreated metastatic colorectal cancer. At the recommended dose for Phase 3 development (2.8 mg/kg Q3W; n=29), confirmed objective response rate was 20.7% (95% CI: 8.0, 39.7), median PFS was 6.9 months (95% CI: 4.4, 9.5), and median OS was not reached after a median follow-up of 13.1 months (95% CI: 8.7, NE). TEV- '408 Teva Pharmaceuticals announced plans for its TEV-’408, an investigational anti-interleukin-15 monoclonal antibody, to advance into a Phase 2b study in vitiligo in the fourth quarter of 2026 following encouraging results from an ongoing Phase 1b, open-label study in adults with active or stable non-segmental vitiligo (NSV). Topline results in Phase 1b trial evaluating TEV-'408 for vitiligo showed improvements in skin pigmentation in patients with active or stable NSV. TEV-’408 was well-tolerated with no safety signals observed. At baseline, 66% of enrolled participants had vitiligo affecting more than 10% of body surface area, representing a population with limited treatment options. At week 24, in evaluable participants, nearly 75% of patients reported improvement in facial vitiligo, with half reporting “much” or “very much” improved, 42% achieved F-VASI50 and 21% achieved F-VASI75, 55% of patients reported improvement in total body vitiligo, and 7% achieved T-VASI50. Teva Pharmaceuticals and Royalty Pharma entered into a funding agreement of up to $500 million to accelerate the clinical development of TEV-'408 for vitiligo. Topline results of the Phase 2a trial evaluating TEV-'408 for celiac disease continue to be expected in the second half of 2026. IMVT-1402 Immunovant announced preliminary week 16 IMVT-1402 results in the difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis trial that showed clinically meaningful response rates of 72.7% ACR20, 54.5% ACR50 and 35.8% ACR70. Immunovant’s development plans for IMVT-1402 remain on track across all six announced indications. They expect to provide further updates on the potentially registrational IMVT-1402 difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis program and report topline data from the proof-of-concept trial of IMVT-1402 in cutaneous lupus erythematosus in the second half of calendar year 2026. In calendar year 2027, topline data are anticipated for the potentially registrational trials evaluating IMVT-1402 in Graves’ disease and myasthenia gravis. Topline data are expected to follow in calendar year 2028 for the potentially registrational trials of IMVT-1402 in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy and Sjögren’s disease. BI 3802876 Boehringer Ingelheim has commenced its Phase 2a double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of BI 3802876 in participants with compensated cirrhosis due to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). The study is to evaluate BI 3802876 tolerance and dose response in MASH patients. Sugemalimab Arrotex Pharmaceuticals entered into an exclusive commercialization agreement with CStone Pharmaceuticals for Sugemalimab, a fully human anti–PD-L1 monoclonal antibody, covering all approved and future indications in Australia and New Zealand. The agreement includes potential commercialization across stage III and IV non-small cell lung cancer, gastric cancer, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, subject to regulatory approval by Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration. VXA-222 VERAXA Biotech announced the advancement of bispecific ADC (bsADC) program VXA-222, following successful achievement of a key technical milestone in its alliance with OmniAb. The program is moving into its next collaboration phase with OmniAb's discovery work successfully concluded. VXA-222 utilizes an “AND-gate” logic to address two different target antigens present on solid tumors with one molecule. Additional Updates The company appointed Amechi Nwachuku to the newly-created position of Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, primarily responsible for managing the strategy, operations and commercial maximization of xPloration. OmniAb will host an Investor and Analyst Day on October 6, 2026 at its corporate headquarters in Emeryville, CA. The agenda for the day will include presentations by management, panel discussions, and a lab tour for those attending in-person. For additional information and participation details, please visit. Conference Call and Webcast OmniAb management will host a conference call with accompanying slides today beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET (1:30 p.m. PT) to discuss this announcement and answer questions. To participate via telephone, please dial (833) 461-5787 using the conference ID 545137839. Slides, as well as the live and replay webcast, are available here. About OmniAb® OmniAb licenses cutting-edge discovery research technology to pharmaceutical and biotech companies and academic institutions to enable the discovery of next-generation therapeutics. Our technology platform creates and screens diverse antibody repertoires and is designed to quickly identify optimal antibodies and other target-binding proteins for our partners’ drug development efforts. At the heart of the OmniAb platform is what we call Biological Intelligence™, which powers the immune systems of our proprietary, engineered transgenic animals to create optimized antibody candidates for human therapeutics. We believe the OmniAb animals comprise the most diverse host systems available in the industry. These technologies paired with xPloration, our AI-powered high-throughput single B-cell screening platform, are used to identify fully-human antibodies with exceptional performance and developability characteristics. We provide our partners both integrated end-to-end capabilities and highly customizable offerings, which address critical industry challenges and provide optimized discovery solutions. Our business model aligns scientific and economic interests of our partners through structured agreements that generally include upfront/access fees, service revenue, milestones and royalties on commercial sales. For more information, please visit www.omniab.com. Forward-Looking Statements OmniAb cautions you that statements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “could,” “intend,” “target,” “project,” “contemplates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential” or “continue” and similar expressions, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations and include, but are not limited to: statements regarding the value of our portfolio and growth prospects of our business; the ability to add new partners and programs; the ability to efficiently leverage and expand the reach of our technologies; continuation of our innovation efforts and the expected value and performance of our technologies and the opportunities they may create, potential contributions to our business by our xPloration partner access program; scientific presentations and clinical and regulatory events of our partners and the timing thereof and their perspectives on and expectations for their product candidates; and our 2026 financial guidance. Actual results may differ from those set forth in this press release due to the risks and uncertainties inherent in our business, including, without limitation: our future operating results and success is dependent on acceptance of our technology platform and technologies by new and existing partners, as well as on the eventual development, approval and commercialization of products developed by our partners for which we have no control over the development plan, regulatory strategy or commercialization efforts; biopharmaceutical development is inherently uncertain; risks arising from changes in technology; the competitive environment in the life sciences and biotechnology platform market; risks associated with quality and timing in manufacturing our xPloration instruments and related consumables and our reliance on a limited number of third-party manufacturers and suppliers; our failure to maintain, protect and defend our intellectual property rights; difficulties with performance of third parties we will rely on for our business; government healthcare reform, legislative measures and regulatory developments in the United States and foreign countries; unstable market and economic conditions may have serious adverse consequences on our business, financial condition and stock price; the potential impact of tariffs, trade policies, geopolitical instability and conflicts, inflation and interest rate changes; we may not achieve our financial guidance; our operating expenses may be higher than we anticipate, including if we decide to engage in activities not currently in our plan or if we face unexpected, or higher than anticipated, expenses; we may use our capital resources sooner than we expect; and other risks described in our prior press releases and filings with the SEC, including under the heading “Risk Factors” in our annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent filings with the SEC. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, and we undertake no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date hereof. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, which is made under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Partner Information The information in this press release regarding partnered products and programs comes from information publicly released by our partners. Note Regarding Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measure This press release includes financial results prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP), and also actual and projected cash costs and operating expenses, which is a non-GAAP financial measure, adjusted to exclude share-based compensation, depreciation and amortization of intangibles. Non-GAAP financial measures are not an alternative for financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. However, OmniAb believes the presentation of actual and projected non-GAAP cash costs and operating expenses, when viewed in conjunction with GAAP figures, provides investors with a more meaningful understanding of our operating performance. Cash costs and operating expense is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for costs and operating expenses. A reconciliation between actual and projected GAAP costs and operating expenses and non-GAAP costs and operating expenses is provided later in this press release. OMNIAB, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (in thousands, except share and per share data) June 30, 2026 December 31, 2025 (Unaudited) ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 24,336 $ 25,524 Short-term investments 27,659 28,501 Accounts receivable, net 10,328 7,390 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 3,690 3,926 Total current assets 66,013 65,341 Intangible assets, net 116,068 125,149 Goodwill 83,979 83,979 Property and equipment, net 8,475 9,428 Operating lease right-of-use assets 14,461 15,545 Restricted cash 560 560 Other long-term assets 701 912 Total assets $ 290,257 $ 300,914 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 2,088 $ 1,879 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 4,499 6,291 Current contingent liabilities 940 1,044 Current deferred revenue 2,258 3,161 Current operating lease liabilities 3,973 3,879 Total current liabilities 13,758 16,254 Long-term contingent liabilities 25 315 Deferred income taxes, net 882 785 Long-term operating lease liabilities 14,940 16,455 Long-term deferred revenue 309 — Other long-term liabilities 69 78 Total liabilities 29,983 33,887 Stockholders' equity: Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value; 100,000,000 shares authorized at June 30, 2026 and December 31, 2025; no shares issued and outstanding at June 30, 2026 and December 31, 2025 — — Common stock, $0.0001 par value; 1,000,000,000 shares authorized at June 30, 2026 and December 31, 2025; 145,390,398 and 144,308,383 shares issued and outstanding at June 30, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively 15 14 Additional paid-in capital 440,024 433,180 Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (20 ) 12 Accumulated deficit (179,745 ) (166,179 ) Total stockholders’ equity 260,274 267,027 Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 290,257 $ 300,914 OMNIAB, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited) (in thousands, except per share data) Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2026 2025 2026 2025 Revenue: License and milestone revenue $ 9,515 $ 1,242 $ 21,540 $ 3,263 Service revenue 2,473 1,936 4,580 3,839 xPloration revenue 1,161 608 1,215 650 Royalty revenue 266 111 507 299 Total revenue 13,415 3,897 27,842 8,051 Costs and operating expenses: Cost of xPloration revenue 610 262 625 265 Research and development 9,586 10,864 19,226 23,466 General and administrative 6,653 7,684 13,272 15,599 Amortization of intangibles 3,053 3,228 9,081 6,456 Other operating expense (income), net 150 (1,922 ) 104 (2,672 ) Total costs and operating expenses 20,052 20,116 42,308 43,114 Loss from operations (6,637 ) (16,219 ) (14,466 ) (35,063 ) Other income (expense), net: Interest income 434 436 921 973 Other income (expense), net (9 ) 27 68 28 Total other income, net 425 463 989 1,001 Loss before income taxes (6,212 ) (15,756 ) (13,477 ) (34,062 ) Income tax benefit (expense) 353 (119 ) (89 ) (13 ) Net loss $ (5,859 ) $ (15,875 ) $ (13,566 ) $ (34,075 ) Net loss per share, basic and diluted $ (0.05 ) $ (0.15 ) $ (0.11 ) $ (0.32 ) Weighted-average shares outstanding, basic and diluted 128,795 106,148 128,521 105,886 OMNIAB, INC. RECONCILIATION OF GAAP COSTS AND OPERATING EXPENSES TO NON-GAAP CASH COSTS AND OPERATING EXPENSES Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, (in thousands) 2026 2025 2026 2025 Costs and operating expenses (GAAP) $ 20,052 $ 20,116 $ 42,308 $ 43,114 Less: Depreciation of property and equipment 577 864 1,183 1,830 Less: Amortization of intangible assets 3,053 3,228 9,081 6,456 Less: Share-based compensation 3,159 4,111 6,499 8,255 Cash costs and operating expenses (Non-GAAP) $ 13,263 $ 11,913 $ 25,545 $ 26,573 (in millions) 2026 Forecast Costs and operating expenses (GAAP) $84 to $88 Less: Depreciation and amortization 18 Less: Share-based compensation 15 Cash costs and operating expenses (Non-GAAP) $51 to $55 OmniAb, Inc. investors@OmniAb.com X@OmniAbTech Alliance Advisors IR Vivian Cervantes vcervantes@allianceadvisors.com (973) 873-7724

Precemtabart tocentecan (Precem-TcT) is investigated as a potential first-in-class anti-CEACAM5 ADC, for the treatment of metastatic CRC (mCRC) CEACAM5 is overexpressed in the majority of colorectal tumors (~90%), and requires no patient selection Significant unmet need remains for clinically meaningful innovation in colorectal cancer (CRC), the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide DARMSTADT, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced that the first patient has been dosed in the Phase 3 PROCEADE®-CRC-03 trial (NCT07549412). The study is evaluating precemtabart tocentecan (Precem‑TcT), a potential first‑in‑class investigational anti‑CEACAM5 antibody‑drug conjugate (ADC), for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). “Leveraging our novel payload‑linker technology, Precem‑TcT is the first CEACAM5‑targeted ADC in clinical studies with an exatecan payload, rationally designed for stability and enhanced cancer cell killing activity,” said David Weinreich, MD, MBA, Global Head of R&D and Chief Medical Officer for the Healthcare business of Merck. “The Phase 3 study and the enrollment of the first patient with Precem-TcT build on the Company’s more than 20 years of expertise in colorectal cancer, and highlight our commitment to advancing differentiated ADCs for heavily pretreated patients with limited treatment options.” The PROCEADE®-CRC-03 study assesses the efficacy and safety of Precem-TcT, alone or with bevacizumab, in patients with mCRC who are intolerant- or refractory-to, or progressed after, systemic therapies. The PROCEADE®-CRC-03 study will be conducted in approximately 165 sites in 20 countries and will recruit approximately 1,020 patients with mCRC. In Phase 1 (PROCEADE®-CRC-01; NCT05464030), Precem-TcT as monotherapy or in combination showed predictable and manageable safety in more than 100 patients with heavily pretreated mCRC. At the recommended dose for Phase 3 development (2.8 mg/kg Q3W; n=29), confirmed objective response rate (cORR) was 20.7% (95% CI: 8.0, 39.7), median PFS was 6.9 months (95% CI: 4.4, 9.5) and median OS was not reached (95% CI: 8.7, NE) after a median follow-up of 13.1 months. “The PROCEADE®-CRC-03 Phase 3 study is designed to address significant unmet needs for patients with metastatic colon cancer whose disease has progressed after standard therapies,” said Kanwal P.S. Raghav, MBSS, MD, Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston. “The data from the phase 1 study suggested a manageable safety profile for Precem-TcT and encouraging early tumor response in the patients with heavily pre-treated metastatic colorectal cancer. CEACAM5 is largely absent from healthy tissues and is overexpressed in nearly all mCRC cases, supporting a non-selective, universal patient approach, and represents a promising therapeutic target in this setting.” Globally, CRC is the third-most commonly diagnosed malignancy and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths.1 Merck chose mCRC as the first indication to assess the efficacy and safety of Precem-TcT because ~90% of colorectal cancers overexpress CEACAM5,2 and there is a high unmet clinical need in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, especially among those who progressed on several previous therapies.3,4,5 Patients with advanced colorectal cancer typically face a challenging prognosis, with few options available for those whose disease continues to progress after three or more lines of therapy. Additionally, with progression, response to treatment and prognosis become increasingly worse over time. Advancing the Future of Cancer Care At Merck, we strive every day to improve the futures of people living with cancer. Building on our 350-year global heritage as pharma pioneers, we are focusing our most promising science to target cancer’s deepest vulnerabilities, pursuing differentiated molecules to strike cancer at its core. By developing new therapies that can help advance cancer care, we are determined to create a world where more cancer patients will become cancer survivors. Learn more at www.merckgroup.com. About Precemtabart tocentecan (M9140) Precemtabart tocentecan is an investigational anti-CEACAM5 antibody-drug conjugate (ADC). Leveraging the company’s novel linker-payload technology, precemtabart tocentecan is the first CEACAM5 ADC with an exatecan payload, a potent topoisomerase inhibitor (TOP1i), which has been rationally designed for stability in circulation and superior cancer cell killing activity. Beyond the direct effect on the target cell, precemtabart tocentecan has been shown in preclinical research to induce tumor cell death through a bystander effect in which exatecan permeates the cell membrane to neighboring cells, inducing apoptosis (cell death). This bystander effect within the tumor microenvironment may enhance efficacy. Precemtabart tocentecan is currently being evaluated across tumor types with CEACAM5 expression and a high unmet need, including metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), gastric cancer (GC), non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). About Colorectal Cancer Colorectal cancer (CRC) is cancer of the colon or rectum, which often arises from benign polyps that eventually turn cancerous. It is the third most common diagnosed malignancy, and the second leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide with approximately 1 in 10 cancer deaths attributed to CRC. Despite new therapies, 5-year survival of stage 4 CRC is <20%. The global burden of CRC has substantially increased over time and is expected to increase by 60% to more than 2.2 million new cases and 1.1 million deaths by 2030.1 About Merck Merck, a leading science and technology company, operates across life science, healthcare and electronics. More than 62,000 employees work to make a positive difference to millions of people’s lives every day by creating more joyful and sustainable ways to live. From providing products and services that accelerate drug development and manufacturing as well as discovering unique ways to treat the most challenging diseases to enabling the intelligence of devices – the company is everywhere. In 2025, Merck generated sales of € 21.1 billion in 65 countries. Scientific exploration and responsible entrepreneurship have been key to Merck’s technological and scientific advances. This is how Merck has thrived since its founding in 1668. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed company. Merck holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the business sectors of Merck operate as MilliporeSigma in life science, EMD Serono in healthcare, and EMD Electronics in electronics. All Merck press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck website. Please go to www.merckgroup.com/subscribe to register online, change your selection or discontinue this service. 1 World Health Organization Colorectal cancer: Key facts. Accessed 8 May 2026. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/colorectal-cancer. 2 Kopetz S BV, et al. M9140, a novel anti-CEACAM5 antibody–drug conjugate with a potent topoisomerase 1 inhibitor payload (exatecan): preclinical data and results from a phase 1 dose-escalation study in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (PROCEADE-CRC-01). Nature Medicine. 2025. 3 Biller LH, Schrag D. Diagnosis and Treatment of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: A Review. JAMA. 2021;325(7):669-685. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.0106. 4 Xie Y-H, Chen Y-X, Fang J-Y. Comprehensive review of targeted therapy for colorectal cancer. Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy. 2020/03/20 2020;5(1):22. doi:10.1038/s41392-020-0116-z. 5 Martínez-Lago N, Chucla TC, De Castro BA, et al. Efficacy, safety and prognostic factors in patients with refractory metastatic colorectal cancer treated with trifluridine/tipiracil plus bevacizumab in a real-world setting. Scientific Reports. 2022/08/26 2022;12(1):14612. doi:10.1038/s41598-022-18871-9.