BRIEF—Merck antibiotics deal with Gates MRI

US pharma giant Merck & Co and the Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute (Gates MRI) today announced a licensing agreement for two pre-clinical antibacterial candidates for evaluation as potential components of combination regimens for the treatment of tuberculosis (TB).

These candidates were discovered by Merck scientists as part of the TB Drug Accelerator (TBDA), a collaboration established among biopharmaceutical companies, research organizations and universities to accelerate the discovery and development of novel therapeutic candidates against TB.

The initiative was established with support and leadership from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Under the agreement, Merck has granted the Gates MRI an exclusive global license for MK-7762 and MK-3854.

In furtherance of its charitable purpose, Gates MRI will conduct non-clinical and clinical studies of these candidates to determine their potential for inclusion in new affordable combination treatment regimens for TB with the aim of shortening the duration of treatment irrespective of resistance to the currently available TB drugs.