Merck joins forces with UK cancer research organizations

Cancer Research UK’s Commercial Partnerships Team and The Institute of Cancer Research, London, today announced a multi-project collaboration and licensing deal with Germany’s Merck KGaA (MRK: DE), to discover and develop new anticancer drugs.

This multi-project deal follows previous single project drug discovery collaborations and a more recent target validation collaboration between Merck and Cancer Research UK’s Cancer Therapeutics Unit at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR).

The parties will collaborate on three independent research projects spanning target hit discovery to preclinical candidate nomination. This work will progress the discovery and development of potential cancer drugs, as well as develop biomarkers for target engagement and patient selection.