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Merus Merus Announces Financial Results for the First Quarter and Provides Business Update May 6 , 2021 Clinical data update on zenocutuzumab selected for oral presentation at ASCO MCLA - 145 clinical update planned for 2H21 MCLA - 129 first patient dosed in phase 1/2 trial Cecile Geuijen , Ph.D. , promoted to Chief Scientific Officer UTRECHT , The Netherlands and CAMBRIDGE , Mass . , May 06 , 2021 ( GLOBE NEWSWIRE ) -- Merus N.V. ( Nasdaq : MRUS ) ( " Merus " , the " Company , " " we " , or " our " ) , a clinical - stage oncology company developing innovative , full - length multispecific antibodies ( Biclonics® and Triclonics® ) , today announced financial results for the first quarter that ended March 31 , 2021 , and provided a business update . " We have made significant progress on our clinical programs this quarter and we are excited to provide a clinical data update on Zeno in an oral presentation at ASCO in June , and on MCLA - 145 later this year , " said Bill Lundberg , M.D. , President , Chief Executive Officer of Merus . " In addition we continue to validate our multispecific platforms with our recent value - generating deal with Loxo Oncology at Lilly , progress with our Incyte collaboration and further development of our own pipeline , including the start of clinical development for MCLA - 129 . " Clinical Programs Zenocutuzumab ( Zeno or MCLA - 128 : HER3 x HER2 Biclonics® ) Oral presentation at the 2021 American Society of Clinical Oncology ( ASCO ) Annual Meeting Title : Efficacy and safety of zenocutuzumab in advanced pancreas cancer and other solid tumors harboring NRG1 fusions Abstract # : 3003 Session Title : Developmental Therapeutics - Molecularly Targeted Agents and Tumor Biology Session Date and Time : June 4 , 2021 , 11:00 AM - 2 : 00 PM EDT We plan to present interim efficacy and safety data from the eNRGy trial and Early Access Program ( EAP ) of Zeno in patients with NRG1 fusion positive ( NRG1 + ) pancreatic , non - small cell lung and other cancers . Zeno is currently in the phase 1/2 eNRGy trial to assess the safety and anti - tumor activity of Zeno monotherapy in NRG1 + cancers . We continue to be encouraged by the ongoing trial , observed clinical activity and safety profile and look forward to sharing an interim clinical data update at ASCO on June 4 . In the first quarter of 2021 , we opened additional clinical trial sites , which are now at more than 35 locations , and we entered into more agreements and collaborations with companies and medical organizations with the goals of raising awareness of the eNRGy trial and providing access to molecular screening opportunities for eligible patients with cancers that may have NRG1 fusions . Merus is now working with more than ten different industry and academic collaborations across Asia , North America and Europe aimed to enhance testing for NRG1 fusions and to raise awareness of the eNRGy trial . Details of the eNRGy trial can be found at www.ClinicalTrials.gov and Merus ' trial website at www.nrg1.com , or by calling 1-833 - NRG - 1234 . At the American Association for Cancer Research 2021 Annual Meeting we presented two posters on the mechanism of action of Zeno . Both posters present preclinical data demonstrating that the Dock & BlockⓇ activity of Zeno can potently inhibit NRG1 ( and NRG1 fusion ) signaling through HER3 : HER2 and tumorigenesis . In addition , a dose dependent inhibition of tumor growth was observed in NRG1 fusion lung and ovarian cancers in a mouse model . Both posters can be found on our website . MCLA - 158 ( Lgr5 x EGFR Biclonics® ) : Solid Tumors Phase 1 trial continues with dose expansion cohorts Phase 1 clinical trial of MCLA - 158 is ongoing in the dose expansion phase of the open - label , multicenter trial . Enrollment of patients with gastro - esophageal and head - and - neck cancers continues and preliminary evidence of antitumor activity has been observed . MCLA - 145 ( CD137 x PD - L1 Biclonics® ) : Solid Tumors Phase 1 trial clinical data will be presented 2H21 The phase 1 , open - label , single - agent clinical trial of MCLA - 145 is ongoing and consists of dose escalation followed by dose expansion . MCLA - 145 is the first drug candidate co - developed under Merus ' global collaboration and license agreement with Incyte Corporation , which permits the development and commercialization of up to 11 bispecific and monospecific antibodies from the Biclonics® platform . Merus has full rights to develop and commercialize MCLA - 145 if approved in the United States and Incyte is responsible for its development and commercialization outside the United States . MCLA - 129 ( EGFR x c - MET Biclonics® ) : Solid Tumors