Merck Signs With Two Biotech Firms

Merck & Co. has entered pain management and antihypertensive drug development deals with two biopharmaceutical companies.

Merck will work with Neuromed Pharmaceuticals of Conshohoken, Pa., to research, develop, and commercialize compounds that treat pain by selectively targeting the N-type calcium channel. The deal includes Neuromed???s lead compound, NMED-160, a small molecule that is in Phase II development. According to Neuromed, the drug works by blocking calcium channels located in the membrane at the synapse between two communicating neurons.

Under the agreement, Merck will make an initial $25 million cash payment to Neuromed and provide two years' worth of funding as part of a collaborative research program. Neuromed will receive milestone payments of $202 million if NMED-160 is launched for one indication and a total of approximately $450 million if further indications are developed and more compounds are launched.

Dennis W. Choi, Merck's executive vice president for neurosciences, says the partnership "complements the considerable internal research taking place at Merck to develop much-needed new medicines for pain."

Meanwhile, Merck has signed an agreement with the French biopharmaceutical company NicOx to develop new antihypertensive drugs based on NicOx's nitric oxide-donating technology. The deal, which follows a research collaboration between the two firms, calls for NicOx to receive an upfront payment of $11.2 million and potential milestone payments of $340 million.

The agreement covers nitric oxide-donating derivatives of several major antihypertensive classes. The companies say their earlier research showed that nitric oxide donation can improve the efficacy of antihypertensive agents in in vivo models.

NicOx recently granted Pfizer exclusive rights to use its nitric oxide-donating technology for the discovery and development of ophthalmology products (C&EN, March 6, page 30).