--- title: 'Life Sciences Daily Summary: What Happened on October 20, 2026' headline: Disc reports Phase 3 win as Roche and Merck KGaA make deals description: Bitopertin met both endpoints in a trial for a rare light-sensitive disease. Roche expanded its Hansoh partnership, and Merck KGaA agreed to buy Silence Therapeutics. url: https://thebench.bio/news/summaries/2026-10-20 topic: all date: '2026-10-20' covers: - '2026-10-20' date_published: '2026-10-20T12:04:46Z' date_modified: '2026-10-20T12:04:46Z' tags: - Industry - Funding - Regulatory - Research sources: 7 publisher: TheBench.Bio --- # Life Sciences Daily Summary: What Happened on October 20, 2026 **Disc reports Phase 3 win as Roche and Merck KGaA make deals** Bitopertin met both endpoints in a trial for a rare light-sensitive disease. Roche expanded its Hansoh partnership, and Merck KGaA agreed to buy Silence Therapeutics. ## Today in brief Disc Medicine said bitopertin met both primary endpoints in a Phase 3 trial for erythropoietic protoporphyria, improving a disease marker and monthly pain-free time in light compared with placebo. [1] Roche and Hansoh expanded their antibody-drug conjugate partnership, with Hansoh eligible for more than $15 billion in milestones and sales royalties. [2] [3] Merck KGaA agreed to buy Silence Therapeutics for about $1.3 billion, including its RNA-interference pipeline and investigational drug divesiran. [4] [5] ## Bitopertin met both Phase 3 endpoints in a rare light-sensitive disease Disc Medicine’s bitopertin met both co-primary endpoints in the Phase 3 APOLLO study in erythropoietic protoporphyria, a disorder that makes sunlight painful. [1] At month six, bitopertin reduced whole-blood protoporphyrin IX by 41.4% versus placebo and added 12.2 hours of average monthly pain-free time in light. [1] Coverage of the study described the results as addressing FDA concerns about bitopertin’s efficacy. [1] ## Roche expands its antibody-drug conjugate partnership with Hansoh Roche and Hansoh will develop antibody-drug conjugates for multiple cancer targets, including two preclinical Hansoh candidates and additional programs against targets Roche selects. [2] [3] Hansoh is due $400 million upfront and $110 million on the agreement’s first anniversary, and may receive more than $15 billion in milestones plus sales royalties. [2] [3] Hansoh will lead development through global Phase 1a trials, after which Roche will lead development and commercialization outside mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. [2] [3] Hansoh keeps rights in those territories and may join global development for up to two programs. [2] [3] U.S. Treasury officials are examining the partnership as they work on rules implementing the COINS Act. [6] Treasury submitted a proposed rule to the Office of Management and Budget on October 9, with the final rule due by March 13, 2027. [6] ## Merck KGaA to buy Silence Therapeutics for about $1.3 billion Merck KGaA agreed to acquire Silence Therapeutics for about $1.3 billion in equity, offering $20 per American depositary share, an 82% premium to the 30-day average share price. [4] [5] The purchase includes Silence’s research platform, Berlin site, and drug candidates, led by divesiran for polycythemia vera. [4] In the Phase 2 SANRECO trial, 88% of divesiran recipients met the response definition, compared with 19% of those on placebo. [4] [5] A response required no phlebotomy from weeks 18 to 36 and a hematocrit below 45%. [4] The study enrolled 48 people and followed them for 36 weeks, leaving longer-term efficacy and safety to be established. [4] Silence had planned to start a Phase 3 study in the first half of 2027, with doses every 12 weeks. [4] [7] The companies expect the acquisition to close in the first quarter of 2027, subject to shareholder approval and regulatory clearances. [4] [5] ## The day in numbers - **41.4%**: Reduction in whole-blood protoporphyrin IX with bitopertin versus placebo in Phase 3. [1] - **12.2 hours**: Additional average monthly pain-free time in light with bitopertin versus placebo at month six. [1] - **More than $15 billion**: Potential milestone payments to Hansoh under its expanded Roche partnership, in addition to royalties. [2] [3] - **88% vs. 19%**: Phase 2 response rates for divesiran and placebo in the SANRECO trial. [4] [5] ## Sources 1. [Disc’s Phase III win addresses FDA’s concerns about bitopertin’s efficacy ](), BioCentury, 2026-10-20 2. [$15 billion deal: Roche bets on China — and questions Germany’s future](), European Biotechnology, 2026-10-20 3. [Roche, Hansoh Sign Second ADC Pact Covering Preclinical and Roche-Selected Targets](), BioPharm International, 2026-10-19 4. [Merck to buy siRNA specialist Silence Therapeutics for $1.3 billion](), European Biotechnology, 2026-10-20 5. [Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, Acquires Silence Therapeutics for $1.3 Billion](), Pharmaceutical Executive, 2026-10-19 6. [Roche-Hansoh co-development deal lands amid debate over China restrictions](), BioCentury, 2026-10-20 7. [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]: