MRK Merck and Co Inc

By Matt Grossman

Merck & Co. Inc. has reached a deal with the U.S. to manufacture and supply MK-7110, a recombinant fusion protein, as a treatment for people with severe or critical Covid-19, the company said Wednesday.

Under the agreement, Merck will receive up to roughly $256 million to make and provide 60,000 to 100,000 doses of the treatment through June 30 next year. Kenilworth, N.J.-based Merck acquired M-7110 when it bought OncoImmune, a private biopharmaceutical company.

Merck said the treatment works by targeting the innate immune system. A Phase 3 trial delivered interim results in September indicating that the treatment improved the likelihood of clinical improvement by 60% and reduced the risk of death or respiratory failure by 50% compared with a placebo.

Write to Matt Grossman at matt.grossman@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 23, 2020 07:11 ET (12:11 GMT)

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