Merck signs lupus research deal
pharmafile | January 30, 2013 | News story | Research and Development, Sales and Marketing | Feinstein, Merck Serono, SLE
Merck Serono and the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in New York are to collaborate on antibodies to treat systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
Merck Serono will fund a research programme at the Feinstein Institute and will take on development and any resulting commercialisation of the antibodies. The research will focus on the use of antibodies to inhibit the certain proteins responsible for inflammation linked to SLE.
There is a very high unmet medical need in SLE, with GSK’s Benlysta (belimumab, first developed by Human Genome Sciences) being the only new drug launched for the condition in 50 years.
Merck Serono is currently investigating atacicept in Phase II development for SLE. Atacicept targets B cells thought to have a role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases such as SLE, and inhibits their development. The collaboration with the Feinstein Institute will allow Merck Serono to further strengthen its research into alternative mechanisms for the treatment of SLE.
Dr Bernhard Kirschbaum, executive VP and head of Global Research and Early Development for Merck Serono, said: “The Feinstein Institute is at the forefront of translational research in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases and this is a rare opportunity for our researchers to collaborate with key experts in the field of systemic lupus erythematosus to develop alternative therapeutic approaches, and further strengthen our research capabilities in the field of immunology.”
Betty Diamond, head of the Center for Autoimmune & Musculoskeletal Diseases at the Feinstein Institute, added: “The resources of Merck Serono will be an important addition to our efforts to provide new antibody therapeutics targeted at inflammatory processes. These mechanisms are critical to solving the problem of lupus and many other autoimmune diseases.”
The pathogenesis of SLE is multi-factorial, including genetic and environmental factors and abnormalities of both the innate and the adaptive immune system.
A number of other companies are also competing to produce new lupus treatments. Pfizer signed a deal with biotech Nodality in August to help streamline its research in the area.
Andrew McConaghie
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