Theravance & Merck Sign Major Cardiovascular Collaboration
Theravance, Inc.recently announced it has signed a collaboration agreement with Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, to discover, develop, and commercialize novel small molecule therapeutics directed toward a target being investigated for the treatment of hypertension and heart failure.
In exchange for granting Merck a worldwide, exclusive license to its therapeutic candidates, Theravance will receive a $5-million up-front payment, funding for research, and be eligible for milestone payments totaling up to $148 million for the first indication and royalties on worldwide net sales of any products derived from the collaboration.
“Despite years of medical advances, there remain significant unmet medical needs in the management of cardiovascular disease,” said Mathai Mammen, MD, PhD, Senior Vice President of Research and Early Clinical Development at Theravance. “Over the last several years, Theravance has gained significant insights into the design of novel molecules directed toward certain cardiovascular targets. We are pleased to be working with Merck, an industry leader in the development of innovative cardiovascular medicines, to bring new therapies to patients.”
“Merck remains committed to the discovery and development of new therapies for cardiovascular disease,” said Michael Mendelsohn, MD, Senior Vice President, Cardiovascular Research at Merck. “By combining Merck’s experience with the strengths of the Theravance team, we are well positioned to advance this new collaboration forward.”
Theravance is a biopharmaceutical company with a pipeline of internally discovered product candidates and strategic collaborations with pharmaceutical companies. Theravance is focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of small molecule medicines across a number of therapeutic areas, including respiratory disease, bacterial infections, and central nervous system (CNS)/pain. For more information, visi www.theravance.com.
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