--- title: 'Industry Daily Summary: What Happened on October 20, 2026' headline: Roche expands Hansoh cancer-drug deal, with more than $15 billion in potential milestones description: Merck KGaA agreed to buy Silence Therapeutics, and Ambrose added a rare-disease drug through an acquisition. url: https://thebench.bio/news/industry/2026-10-20 topic: industry date: '2026-10-20' covers: - '2026-10-20' date_published: '2026-10-20T12:03:55Z' date_modified: '2026-10-20T12:03:55Z' tags: - Industry - Funding sources: 9 publisher: TheBench.Bio --- # Industry Daily Summary: What Happened on October 20, 2026 **Roche expands Hansoh cancer-drug deal, with more than $15 billion in potential milestones** Merck KGaA agreed to buy Silence Therapeutics, and Ambrose added a rare-disease drug through an acquisition. ## Today in brief Roche and Hansoh expanded their cancer-drug partnership, with Hansoh eligible for more than $15 billion in milestones plus royalties. [1] [2] Merck KGaA agreed to buy Silence Therapeutics for about $1.3 billion, gaining an investigational RNA drug for polycythemia vera. [3] [4] Ambrose Healthcare acquired AM-Pharma and its investigational treatment for hypophosphatasia. [5] [6] Sail Biomedicines and Johnson & Johnson plan to develop circular RNA to program CAR-T cells inside the body, under a collaboration announced in July. [7] ## Roche and Hansoh widen their ADC partnership Roche and Hansoh expanded their partnership to develop antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for multiple cancer targets. [1] [2] Roche will pay Hansoh $400 million upfront and another $110 million on the agreement’s first anniversary. [1] [2] Hansoh may also receive more than $15 billion in development, regulatory, and commercial milestones, plus royalties on sales. [1] [2] The deal covers two preclinical Hansoh candidates and additional programs against targets Roche proposes. [1] [2] Hansoh will lead development through global Phase 1a trials. Roche will then take over outside mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. [1] [2] Hansoh retains rights in those territories and may join global development for up to two programs. [1] [2] The deal comes as US officials examine outbound investment rules. Treasury submitted a proposed rule to the Office of Management and Budget on October 9 to implement the COINS Act. [8] The final rule is due by March 13, 2027, and Treasury is expected to publish a draft beforehand. [8] ## Merck KGaA agrees to buy Silence Therapeutics for about $1.3 billion Merck KGaA agreed to acquire Silence Therapeutics for about $1.3 billion in equity value, or $20 per American depositary share, an 82% premium to the 30-day average share price. [3] [4] The deal includes Silence’s research platform, Berlin site, and drug candidates. [3] The companies expect the transaction to close in the first quarter of 2027, subject to shareholder approval and regulatory clearances. [3] [4] Divesiran, Silence’s lead near-term asset, is an investigational small interfering RNA (siRNA) treatment for polycythemia vera, a blood cancer. [3] [4] In the 48-patient Phase 2 SANRECO trial, 88% of divesiran recipients met the response definition, compared with 19% on placebo. [3] The definition required no phlebotomy, a procedure that removes blood, from weeks 18 through 36, and a hematocrit below 45%. [3] The Phase 2 results covered 36 weeks of follow-up, leaving longer-term efficacy and safety to be assessed. [3] Silence had planned to start a Phase 3 study in the first half of 2027, with dosing every 12 weeks. [3] [9] Merck said it intends to advance divesiran into Phase 3 if the acquisition closes as expected. [4] ## Also worth knowing - Ambrose Healthcare acquired all shares of AM-Pharma, adding ilofotase alfa, an investigational enzyme replacement therapy for hypophosphatasia ready for Phase 2. AM-Pharma shareholders may receive up to €161 million in upfront and milestone payments, plus royalties. [5] [6] - Sail Biomedicines and Johnson & Johnson announced a July collaboration to develop circular RNA that programs CAR-T cells inside the body, aiming to target overactive B cells in lupus and other autoimmune diseases. [7] ## The day in numbers - **More than $15 billion**: Potential milestone payments to Hansoh under the expanded Roche partnership, in addition to royalties. [1] [2] - **88% vs. 19%**: Phase 2 response rates for divesiran and placebo, respectively, in the SANRECO trial. [3] - **€161 million**: Maximum announced upfront and milestone payments to AM-Pharma shareholders in Ambrose’s acquisition, plus royalties. [5] [6] ## Also published - [Roche offers $15bn for strategic-level deal with Hansoh](), pharmaphorum - [Merck buys Silence and its siRNA pipeline for $1.3bn](), pharmaphorum - [Building a social presence inside regulatory guardrails](), pharmaphorum - [Menopause is an urgent global health issue: Bayer’s Cecilia Caetano](), pharmaphorum - [Report: Biopharma Job Market Report Q3 2026](), BioSpace - [China trends; Roche, Merck KGaA deals; Arrowhead and tau — a BioCentury podcast](), BioCentury - [Hansoh’s Weiyong Sun: Roche deal part of strategy to capture more upside](), BioCentury - [Roche picks cancer targets, Hansoh builds the ADCs in deal with $400 million upfront](), Drug Discovery and Development - [Roche ADC deal could give Hansoh a path to global expansion: Deals Report](), BioCentury - [Silence is golden: Germany-based Merck pays $1.3B for siRNA company](), BioCentury - [Merck KGaA bets on RNAi with $1.3B Silence buyout](), BioPharma Dive - [Roche, Hansoh Sign Second ADC Pact Covering Preclinical and Roche-Selected Targets](), BioPharm International - [Roche inks $15B ADC pact with Hansoh; Veradermics scores in another baldness study](), BioPharma Dive ## Sources 1. [$15 billion deal: Roche bets on China — and questions Germany’s future](), European Biotechnology, 2026-10-20 2. [Hansoh Pharma Enters $15 Billion Collaboration and License Agreement with Roche](), Pharmaceutical Executive, 2026-10-19 3. [Merck to buy siRNA specialist Silence Therapeutics for $1.3 billion](), European Biotechnology, 2026-10-20 4. [Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, Acquires Silence Therapeutics for $1.3 Billion](), Pharmaceutical Executive, 2026-10-19 5. [Ambrose Healthcare fortifies rare disease pipeline on AM-Pharma takeover ](), Pharmaceutical Technology, 2026-10-20 6. [Ambrose expands rare disease pipeline with €161M AM-Pharma acquisition](), European Biotechnology, 2026-10-20 7. [It Took Years for a Loopy Idea to Become a Big Deal](), The Labs Report, 2026-10-20 8. [Roche-Hansoh co-development deal lands amid debate over China restrictions](), BioCentury, 2026-10-20 9. [Merck KGaA’s $1.1B Silence Therapeutics Buyout Brings RNA Drug for Rare Blood Cancer](), MedCity News, 2026-10-19 --- TheBench.Bio wrote this from the reporting cited above, with a language model drafting and editing. [1]: [2]: [3]: [4]: [5]: [6]: [7]: [8]: [9]: