Merck Sharp and Dohme licenses new therapy from Teijin Pharma

Merck Sharp and Dohme has licensed a promising new therapy for nervous system disorders from Teijin Pharma.

The exclusive worldwide license agreement gives Merck development, manufacturing and commercialisation rights to an investigational preclinical antibody candidate targeting the protein tau, which could be used to treat conditions such as Alzheimer's disease.

Merck will make an upfront payment to Teijin Pharma, plus development, regulatory and sales milestone-based payments. In addition, Teijin Pharma will receive royalties on product sales and retains an option to co-promote an approved product in Japan.

This new asset will complement Merck's existing portfolio of candidates being investigated for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, which also include the imaging agent [18F]-MK-6240 and the investigational small molecule BACE1 inhibitor verubecestat.

Darryle Schoepp, vice-president for neuroscience discovery at Merck Research Laboratories, said: "Merck remains committed to developing meaningful therapeutic options for the treatment of Alzheimer's and other neurological diseases."

Teijin Pharma agreed to ally with Merck on the basis of its proven neuroscience expertise.

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