Idera Pharmaceuticals and Merck extend research collaboration

Posted on: Fri, 27 Nov 2009 09:40:00 EST


Symbols: MRK, IDRA
Nov 27, 2009 (Datamonitor via COMTEX) --
MRK | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- Idera Pharmaceuticals, a biotechnology company, has reported that Merck & Co, through an affiliate, has extended its research collaboration with Idera for a fourth year.

In December 2006, the companies entered into an exclusive licensing and research collaboration agreement to research, develop and commercialize vaccine products containing the company's investigational agonist compounds targeting toll-like receptors (TLRs) 7, 8 and 9 in the fields of oncology, infectious diseases, and Alzheimer's disease.

As part of the agreement, the two companies engaged in a two-year R&D collaboration to generate novel agonists targeting TLR7 and TLR8 and incorporating both Merck and Idera chemistry for use in vaccines in the licensed fields, with Merck having the right to extend the collaboration for two additional one-year periods.

Tim Sullivan, vice president of development programs at Idera, said: "During the first three years of our agreement, scientists at Idera and Merck have created a large portfolio of novel agonists of TLRs 7, 8 and 9 using Idera's chemistry-based approach together with Merck's innovations in chemistry and adjuvant formulation. We look forward to continued studies with selected TLR agonist candidates as vaccine adjuvants."

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