Merck KGaA licenses pancreatic cancer drug from Threshold

Merck Serono, a division of German pharma and chemical major Merck KGaA (MRK: DE) has signed a global agreement with US biotech firm Threshold Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: THLD) to co-develop and commercialize TH-302, Threshold’s small molecule hypoxia-targeted drug, aiming for a stake in the pancreatic cancer therapy market.

The world market for pancreatic cancer drugs is projected to exceed $1.2 billion by the year 2015. The market is driven by sales of Eli Lilly's Gemzar (gemcitabine), the standard treatment for pancreatic cancer, as well as Genentech/ OSI Pharmaceuticals/ Roche's Tarceva (erlotinib), according a report issued in 2010 by Global Industry Analysts, but since then several other drugs have been approved for this indication.

TH-302 is currently being investigated in a global Phase III clinical trial in patients with soft tissue sarcoma, a randomized Phase II trial in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer from which top-line results are expected in February, as well as additional clinical studies in other solid tumors and hematological malignancies.