Merck expands research collaboration agreement with Weizmann Institute

Merck has broadened the scope of its collaboration with the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel.

The new framework agreement builds on a successful innovation partnership of almost four decades and will span the next three years, with an option for multiple successive extensions of two years each.

Under the terms of the deal, Merck will fund the institute's work in the fields of immuno-oncology and immunology with annual contributions of up to one million euros (772,800 pounds) over the initial three-year period.

The move will also strengthen the company's ties to the research community in Israel, where it employs more than 300 people and operates sites in Yavne, Herzliya, Rehovot and Jerusalem.

Stefan Oschmann, deputy chief executive officer and vice-chairman of the executive board of Merck, said: "We have focused our healthcare research activities on the highly promising fields of immuno-oncology, immunology and oncology, as we're striving to deliver new solutions to respond to unmet medical needs."