Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and
Canada, today announced an exclusive worldwide research
collaboration and license agreement with Taiho Pharmaceutical Co,
Ltd., (“Taiho”) and Astex Pharmaceuticals (UK), a wholly owned
subsidiary of Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (“Astex”), focused on
the development of small molecule inhibitors against several drug
targets, including the KRAS oncogene, which are currently being
investigated for the treatment of cancer.
“At Merck we continue to pursue new regimens designed to extend
the benefits of highly selective therapies to more patients with
cancer,” said Dr. Roger M. Perlmutter, president, Merck Research
Laboratories. “This agreement with Taiho and Astex combines our
respective small molecule assets and industry-leading expertise in
cancer cell signaling to enable development of the most promising
drug candidates.”
Under the terms of the agreement, Merck, Taiho and Astex will
combine preclinical candidates and their data with knowledge and
expertise from their respective research programs. In exchange for
providing Merck an exclusive global license to their small molecule
inhibitor candidates, Taiho and Astex will receive an aggregate
upfront payment of $50 million and will be eligible to receive
approximately $2.5 billion contingent upon the achievement of
preclinical, clinical, regulatory and sales milestones for multiple
products arising from the agreement, as well as tiered royalties on
sales. Merck will fund research and development and will be
responsible for commercialization of products globally. Taiho has
retained co-commercialization rights in Japan and an option to
promote in specific areas of South East Asia.
“Taiho has used its unique and proprietary drug discovery
platform to generate a number of small molecule inhibitors,” said
Teruhiro Utsugi, Ph.D., managing director at Taiho. “This alliance
builds on our KRAS research up to now and together with Merck,
allows us to combine our expertise to significantly accelerate the
global research, development, and commercialization of a number of
our mutant KRAS programs by accessing external talent and
resources.”
“Together with our Taiho colleagues we are delighted to be
working with Merck, one of the global leaders in oncology drug
development, on this strategic alliance. This collaboration is
another testament to Astex’s position as the leader in
fragment-based drug discovery,” said Harren Jhoti, Ph.D., president
and CEO of Astex.
KRAS is among the most frequently mutated oncogenes in cancer.
It is estimated to occur in more than 90% of pancreatic cancers and
approximately 20% of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) and is
associated with poorer outcomes.
Merck’s Focus on Cancer
Our goal is to translate breakthrough science into innovative
oncology medicines to help people with cancer worldwide. At Merck,
the potential to bring new hope to people with cancer drives our
purpose and supporting accessibility to our cancer medicines is our
commitment. As part of our focus on cancer, Merck is committed to
exploring the potential of immuno-oncology with one of the largest
development programs in the industry across more than 30 tumor
types. We also continue to strengthen our portfolio through
strategic acquisitions and are prioritizing the development of
several promising oncology candidates with the potential to improve
the treatment of advanced cancers. For more information about our
oncology clinical trials, visit www.merck.com/clinicaltrials.
About Merck
For more than a century, Merck, a leading global
biopharmaceutical company known as MSD outside of the United States
and Canada, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines
and vaccines for many of the world’s most challenging diseases.
Through our prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies
and animal health products, we work with customers and operate in
more than 140 countries to deliver innovative health solutions. We
also demonstrate our commitment to increasing access to health care
through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. Today,
Merck continues to be at the forefront of research to advance the
prevention and treatment of diseases that threaten people and
communities around the world - including cancer, cardio-metabolic
diseases, emerging animal diseases, Alzheimer’s disease and
infectious diseases including HIV and Ebola. For more information,
visit www.merck.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook,
Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.
About Taiho Pharmaceutical
Taiho Pharmaceutical, a subsidiary of Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd.,
is an R&D-driven specialty pharma focusing on the three fields
of oncology, allergy and immunology, and urology. Its corporate
philosophy takes the form of a pledge: “We strive to improve human
health and contribute to a society enriched by smiles.” In the
field of oncology in particular, Taiho Pharmaceutical is known as a
leading company in Japan for developing innovative medicines for
the treatment of cancer, a reputation that is rapidly expanding
through their extensive global R&D efforts. In areas other than
oncology, as well, the company creates and markets quality products
that effectively treat medical conditions and can help improve
people's quality of life. Always putting customers first, Taiho
Pharmaceutical also aims to offer consumer healthcare products that
support people's efforts to lead fulfilling and rewarding
lives.
For more information about Taiho Pharmaceutical, please visit:
https://www.taiho.co.jp/en/.
About Astex Pharmaceuticals
Astex Pharmaceuticals (UK) is a leader in innovative drug
discovery and development, committed to the fight against cancer.
Astex is developing a proprietary pipeline of novel therapies and
has multiple partnered products in development under collaborations
with leading pharmaceutical companies. Astex is a wholly owned
subsidiary of Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., based in Tokyo,
Japan.
Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is a global healthcare company
with the corporate philosophy: “Otsuka - people creating new
products for better health worldwide.” Otsuka researches, develops,
manufactures and markets innovative and original products, with a
focus on pharmaceutical products for the treatment of diseases and
nutraceutical products for the maintenance of everyday health.
For more information about Astex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. please
visit: http://www.astx.com
For more information about Otsuka Pharmaceutical, please visit:
https://www.otsuka.co.jp/en/
Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co., Inc.,
Kenilworth, N.J., USA
This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J.,
USA (the “company”) includes “forward-looking statements” within
the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are
based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company’s
management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties.
There can be no guarantees with respect to pipeline products that
the products will receive the necessary regulatory approvals or
that they will prove to be commercially successful. If underlying
assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize,
actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the
forward-looking statements.
Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general
industry conditions and competition; general economic factors,
including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations;
the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care
legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends
toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new
products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent
in new product development, including obtaining regulatory
approval; the company’s ability to accurately predict future market
conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial
instability of international economies and sovereign risk;
dependence on the effectiveness of the company’s patents and other
protections for innovative products; and the exposure to
litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory
actions.
The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any
forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause
results to differ materially from those described in the
forward-looking statements can be found in the company’s 2018
Annual Report on Form 10-K and the company’s other filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC’s
Internet site (www.sec.gov).
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