Merck KGaA announces aptamer partnership with Archemix

Merck KGaA has announced that its Merck Serono division has signed a strategic partnership with Archemix for the discovery, development and marketing of aptamer therapeutics.

This collaboration will be primarily focused on the treatment of cancer, with other areas of investigation including inflammatory and autoimmune conditions.

Under the terms of the agreement, Merck will pay Archemix $29.8 million (15.1 million pounds) as an equity investment, with the partnership combining the firm’s abilities in drug development and marketing with the Selex technology from Archemix for the discovery and generation of aptamer drug candidates.

Furthermore, Merck will be able to use this technology for internal target validation, while it retains an option to select leading aptamer-programmes against six targets, with Archemix having the option on entering into a cost and profit sharing arrangement to co-develop and promote these products in the US.

Dr Bernhard Kirschbaum, executive senior vice-president and director of research at Merck Serono, said; “Aptamers have the potential to play a key role in the next generation of drugs in our core therapeutic areas.”

He added that the drug class could provide a new avenue for the treatment of disease, while noting that Archemix is a market leader in the discovery of these compounds.

This agreement follows an earlier partnership for the development of atpamer-based drugs formed by the companies in January 2007, through which Merck agreed to pay Archemix up to $10 million in initial and additional research payments.