Merck Serono has signed a license agreement with the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) in Madrid in the area of cancer drug development and will build upon CNIO research discoveries to support the development and commercialization of new compounds in the field of oncology.
Under the deal, CNIO has granted to Merck exclusive rights to develop and commercialize their new inhibitors of the ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR) kinase, and in return Merck will make an initial payment along with other potential income of up to nearly EUR19m, as well as royalties on net sales.
The deal includes licensing of two series of ATR inhibitors and also screening platform to validate the compounds, which are currently in an advanced preclinical stage.
Merck Serono head of Translational Innovation Platform Oncology Andree Blaukat said, "We are convinced that working with like-minded organizations, like the CNIO, will further strengthen our efforts towards finding the next generation of breakthrough therapies."
According to the company, ATR kinase plays a major role in the response to DNA damage and in facilitating cell survival.
Tumor cells accumulate more DNA damage compared to healthy cells, blocking ATR kinase activity with selective inhibitors to investigate further for specific tumor types.
