Merck entered a multi-program antibody discovery pact with Infinimmune, potentially worth up to $838 million in upfront and milestones. Under the agreement, Merck will receive human antibody candidates generated through Infinimmune’s platform, with exclusive development and commercialization rights for discovered molecules. Infinimmune said its system screens human immune-cell libraries using AI to identify candidates for targets including IL-22 and IL-13, which are implicated in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases such as atopic dermatitis, IgA nephropathy, and ulcerative colitis. The deal continues Merck’s recent strategy to build out biologics discovery capacity ahead of future exclusivity changes, complementing earlier platform and licensing moves.