Merck Enters Exclusive Worldwide License Agreement with Teijin Pharma for Investigational Antibody Candidate Targeting Tau
May 25 2017 - 8:00AM
Business Wire
Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and
Canada, today announced that it has entered into an exclusive
worldwide license agreement with Teijin Pharma for the development,
manufacture and commercialization of an investigational preclinical
antibody candidate targeting the protein tau. Changes in tau are
associated with a number of diseases affecting the nervous system,
including Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
“Securing alliances with leading industry partners is a key part
of The Teijin Group strategy,” said Mr. Akihisa Nabeshima,
president, Teijin Pharma. “Teijin Pharma believes that Merck’s
strong neuroscience expertise makes it well suited to maximize the
potential of this candidate.”
Under terms of the agreement Merck will have exclusive
world-wide rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize the
anti-tau antibody. In exchange, Merck will make an upfront payment
to Teijin Pharma who is also eligible to receive development,
regulatory and sales milestone payments. In addition, Teijin Pharma
will receive royalties on product sales and retains an option to
co-promote an approved product in Japan.
“Teijin Pharma scientists have made important progress to
advance this investigational anti-tau antibody to this stage of
development,” said Darryle Schoepp, vice president, neuroscience
discovery, Merck Research Laboratories. “Merck remains committed to
developing meaningful therapeutic options for the treatment of
Alzheimer’s and other neurological diseases.”
The addition of this antibody targeting tau will complement
Merck’s portfolio of candidates being investigated for the
treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. This includes [18F]-MK-6240, a
tau ligand currently being evaluated as a potential Positron
Emission Tomography (PET) imaging agent for quantifying the brain
burden of neurofibrillary tangle pathology in people with AD. Merck
is evaluating verubecestat (MK-8931) an investigational small
molecule inhibitor of the beta-site amyloid precursor protein
cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1), in a Phase 3 study of people with
prodromal AD (APECS).
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
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and LinkedIn.
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 2016
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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MerckMedia:Pam Eisele, 267-305-3558orIan McConnell,
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908-740-1898
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