By the time Merck KGaA published promising Phase II data for sprifermin — once tapped as a big prospect for the ailing R&D group — late last year, the German drugmaker made clear it was looking for a partner to take over its whole osteoarthritis pipeline. While sprifermin is still sitting in the portfolio, it’s managed to find a buyer for another drug.

Merck KGaA says it has data showing its sprifermin drug is the first to affect the underlying disease process in osteoarthritis – and is looking for a partner to take the programme forward.