AstraZeneca, Merck launch strategic oncology partnership

Cancer, also called malignancy, is an abnormal growth of cells. There are more than 100 types of cancer, including breast cancer, skin cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, and lymphoma. Symptoms vary depending on the type. Cancer treatment may include chemotherapy, radiation, and/or surgery.

Treatment of cancer varies and pharmaceutical companies through research and collaborations are continuously looking for solutions to various types of cancer. One of such collaborations recently took place between AstraZeneca and Merck.

AstraZeneca and Merck recently announced that they have entered a global strategic oncology collaboration to co-develop and co-commercialize AstraZeneca’s LYNPARZA (olaparib) for multiple cancer types.

LYNPARZA is an innovative, first-in-class oral poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitor currently approved for BRCA-mutated ovarian cancer in multiple lines of treatment.

LYNPARZA (olaparib) is an innovative, first-in-class oral poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitor that may exploit tumour DDR pathway deficiencies to preferentially kill cancer cells. LYNPARZA is the foundation of AstraZeneca’s industry-leading portfolio of potential new medicines that target DDR mechanisms in cancer cells. LYNPARZA is currently approved by regulatory health authorities in the EU for use as monotherapy for the maintenance treatment of adult patients with platinum-sensitive, relapsed BRCA-mutated (germline and/or somatic), high-grade serous epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer, who are in response (complete or partial) to platinum-based chemotherapy. It is also approved in the US as a monotherapy for patients with deleterious, or suspected deleterious, germline BRCA-mutated (as detected by a US FDA test) advanced ovarian cancer, who have been treated with three or more lines of chemotherapy. LYNPARZA generated product sales in 2016 of $218 million.

As part of the agreement, Merck will pay AstraZeneca up to $8.5 billion in total consideration, including $1.6 billion upfront, $750 million for certain license options and up to an additional $6.15 billion contingent upon successful achievement of future regulatory and sales milestones.

This synergy is believed will give hope to patients on management medications available. Currently, there are 14 suggestions being created for different tumor types thanks to the notable development of LYNPARZA in recent times.

“Our strategic collaboration builds on scientific evidence that PARP and MEK inhibitors can be combined with PD-L1/PD-1 inhibitors for a range of tumors. By bringing together the expertise of two leading oncology innovators, we will accelerate LYNPARZA’s potential to become the preferred backbone of many immuno-oncology combination therapies as the world’s first and leading PARP inhibitor. This is a truly exciting step and we are pleased to work with Merck, a company that shares our passion for science to deliver new medicines for cancer patients.” Pascal Soriot, chief executive officer of AstraZeneca, said.

The way the collaboration will work according to reports available is that both companies will develop and commercialize LYNPARZA jointly, both as monotherapy and in combination trials with other potential medicines. They will also jointly develop and commercialize AstraZeneca’s selumetinib, an oral, potent, selective inhibitor of MEK, part of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, currently being developed for multiple indications including thyroid cancer.

Kenneth C. Frazier, chief executive officer of Merck, said: “This global collaboration between AstraZeneca and Merck, two oncology leaders, will increase the possibilities for patients to have more treatment options for more cancers. Merck continues to build its leadership in immuno-oncology with KEYTRUDA as foundational in monotherapy and combination therapy, and this collaboration expands our oncology leadership into the growing targeted therapies of PARP and MEK inhibitors. We look forward to working with AstraZeneca to create greater value for patients and shareholders than if both companies worked independently.”

Under the terms of the agreement, AstraZeneca and Merck will share the development and commercialisation costs for LYNPARZA and selumetinib monotherapy and non-PD-L1/PD-1 combination therapy opportunities. Gross profits from LYNPARZA and selumetinib product sales generated through monotherapies or combination therapies will be shared equally.

Merck will fund all development and commercialization costs of KEYTRUDA in combination with LYNPARZA or selumetinib. AstraZeneca will fund all development and commercialization costs of IMFINZI in combination with LYNPARZA or selumetinib. AstraZeneca will continue to manufacture LYNPARZA and selumetinib.

Merck expects to book its share of product sales of LYNPARZA and selumetinib, net of commercialization costs, as Alliance Revenue and its share of development costs associated with the collaboration as part of its Research & Development expense. The collaboration agreement was completed upon signing on July 26, 2017.

Merck’s goal is to translate breakthrough science into innovative oncology medicines to help people with cancer worldwide.

As part of their focus on cancer, Merck is committed to exploring the potential of immuno-oncology with one of the fastest-growing development programs in the industry. They are currently executing an expansive research program that includes more than 500 clinical trials evaluating their anti-PD-1 therapy across more than 30 tumour types.

For more than a century, Merck, a leading global biopharmaceutical company known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world’s most challenging diseases.

Kemi Ajumobi, with wire reports