Merck has entered into an exclusive global license agreement with Teijin Pharma.
The worldwide license agreement is for the development, manufacturing and commercialization of the investigational preclinical antibody agent targeting the protein Tau, according to a press release. Tau and its level fluctuations are associated with Alzheimer's disease and other diseases affecting the nervous system.
"Securing alliances with leading industry partners is a key part of The Teijin Group strategy, Teijin Pharma believes that Merck’s strong neuroscience expertise makes it well suited to maximize the potential of this candidate," Akihisa Nabeshima, president of Teijin Pharma, said in the release.
For exclusive rights, Merck will compensate Teijin Pharma directly in addition to any eligible payments Teijin Pharma may receive from the development, regulatory and sales milestone payments or future product royalties. Teijin Pharma also retains the option to co-promote an approved product in Japan.
“Teijin Pharma scientists have made important progress to advance this investigational anti-tau antibody to this stage of development," Darryle Schoepp, vice president of neuroscience discovery at Merck Research Laboratories said in the release. "Merck remains committed to developing meaningful therapeutic options for the treatment of Alzheimer’s and other neurological diseases.”
