Vertex sharpens focus on gene-editing in licensing deal with Merck KGaA
Two years ago Merck KGaA splurged $230 million to license all the rights to four oncology programs, including a DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) inhibitor, from cystic fibrosis drugmaker Vertex. On Thursday, the German drugmaker allowed Vertex access to the compound via a licensing deal for use in the field of gene editing.
No financial details were provided for the new transaction, which also enables Vertex to access to an undisclosed preclinical compound. The DNA-PK inhibitor — M9831 (formerly known as VX-984) — and the preclinical drug were licensed to Merck from Vertex in January 2017 and are now part of the Darmstadt-based company’s arsenal of DNA Damage Response (DDR) inhibitors.
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