Merck & Co signs R&D deal with Gladstone

The USA's J David Gladstone Institutes have entered a collaboration and license agreement with Merck & Co for the research and development of drugs for neurodegenerative disease treatments, including Alzheimer's disease, that are linked to mechanisms in the body regulated by apolipoprotein-E.

The deal provides Merck, through an affiliate, with a worldwide, exclusive license to research, develop and commercialize compounds that are directed to apoE-regulated pathways and result from collaborative R&D conducted by the Institutes, which is a facility affiliated to the University of San Francisco.

Under the terms of the deal, Gladstone will receive a $3.25 million upfront payment, milestone fees and an annual license fee in addition to downstream royalties on any marketed products that result from the agreement. For at least four years, Gladstone will also receive substantial funding for apoE research conducted at the Gladstone Institutes' new Center for Translational Research under the direction of Robert Mahley, president of the Institutes. Additional financial terms were not disclosed.