Merck Sharp and Dohme licenses technology from Xencor

Merck Sharp and Dohme has entered into a technology license and option agreement with Xencor that will provide it with access to an extensive antibody engineering intellectual property (IP).

The deal will give Merck access to one of Xencor's Fc engineering patents for use in the development of a therapeutic monoclonal antibody, plus an option to license the same IP for future products.

Xencor will receive an upfront payment and annual maintenance fees from Merck and will also be eligible to receive milestone payments and royalties associated with the successful development of any product candidates.

Dr Bassil Dahiyat, Xencor's chief executive officer, said: "This agreement with Merck reflects the significant value we have seen in the use of our extensive antibody engineering IP for enhancing next-generation protein and antibody drug candidates."

Xencor is responsible for one of the most powerful protein engineering technology platforms in the biotechnology industry, with major firms such as Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Janssen and Pfizer among its roster of partners.