Merck Sharpe and Dohme agrees clinical services deal with Parexel

Merck Sharpe and Dohme has hired biopharmaceutical services provider Parexel to assist in the clinical development of its biosimilar treatments.

The new alliance will see Parexel provide worldwide clinical development support for specified candidate drugs created by Merck BioVentures, Merck Sharpe and Dohme's biosimilars division.

These services will include assistance with regulatory strategy and clinical development planning issues, with a dedicated Merck BioVentures unit set to be created within Parexel as part of the deal.

It is hoped that this agreement will enable Merck BioVentures to bring its biosimilar portfolio to market as efficiently as possible.

Michael Kamarck, president of Merck BioVentures, said: "This agreement positions Merck BioVentures for success with an industry-leading partner that has the expertise and resources to conduct clinical development of our diverse portfolio of candidates."

Earlier this month, Merck Sharpe and Dohme announced that it has received priority review status in both the EU and US for boceprevir, its new treatment for hepatitis C.