Merck Serono and Ablynx announce expanded collaboration

Merck Serono has expanded its existing partnership with Ablynx to include new research into the potential of nanobodies in several key therapeutic fields.

The new multi-year research alliance could lead to several co-discovery and co-development collaborations and will see Merck Serono funding a dedicated discovery group at Ablynx.

Both partners will jointly select disease targets against which this group will discover and develop nanobodies against a number of targets across multiple disease areas, including oncology, immuno-oncology, immunology and neurology.

The research alliance will have a term of four years, with the option to extend by two and a half years, and it is expected that it could deliver at least six successful programmes.

Dr Bernhard Kirschbaum, executive vice-president and head of global research and early 
development at Merck Serono, said: "Through our extensive collaboration history with Ablynx, both sides know how best to conceptually design programmes to ensure technology fit, differentiation potential and a clear scientific rationale."

Last month, the company announced plans to continue the development of its drug tecemotide in stage III non-small cell lung cancer.