MSD exercises Crucell option

Merck Sharp and Dohme (MSD) has been given access to vaccine technology from Crucell, it has been announced.

The Crucell AdVac technology, for use in two infectious disease areas, has been accessed by MSD as part of an option exercised that also saw the company gain exclusive access to Crucell’s PER.C6 technology.

Under the terms of the agreement between the two companies, Crucell will now acquire rights to certain cell line technologies MSD has developed for use in the development of recombinant proteins.

Dr Jaap Goudsmit, Crucell’s chief scientific officer, said the firm was “excited” by the agreement between the two firms.

“Crucell’s vaccine technologies, PER.C6 and AdVac, are increasingly used by the vaccine industry to develop important novel vaccines for infectious diseases. This agreement further broadens the number of disease areas in which our technologies are used,” Dr Goudsmit added.

The option exercised by MSD is from a pre-existing cross-license agreement struck in December 2006.

Crucell was formed in 2000 when IntroGene acquired U-Bisys.