MSD signs partnership agreement with Idera Pharmaceuticals

Merck Sharp & Dohme has signed an agreement with Idera Pharmaceuticals to jointly research, develop and commercialise that company’s toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists. Idera’s TLR agonists will be integrated into vaccines for oncology, Alzheimer’s and infectious diseases currently in development by MSD.

According to the collaboration agreement, MSD will fund the research and development efforts of the partnership, will pay a license fee of $20 million (10.16 million pounds) to Idera and purchase $10 million of its shares.

In return, MSD will receive the exclusive global rights Idera’s TLR agonists that target TLR seven, eight and nine.

Peter S Kim, president of MSD Research Laboratories, said: “We believe that vaccines combined with TLR-targeted compounds offer great promise in treating and preventing serious diseases.”

He added that the partnership was part of the company’s dedication to the research and development of innovative vaccines and therapies and that it was looking forward to integrating Idera’s compounds into its vaccines.

In September, MSD announced that Gardasil (quadrivalent human papillomavirus types six, 11, 16, 18 reconmbinant vaccine) was granted a license by the European Commission.

The compound became the first approved vaccine for cervical cancer, high grade cervical dysplasias/precancers, vulvar dysplastic lesions and external genital warts in the European Union for children aged nine to 15 and adults aged 16 to 26.