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UK medical charity sells part of interest in MSD’s Keytruda for $150 million

pharmafile | July 15, 2016 | News story | Research and Development, Sales and Marketing |  MSD, Merck, keytruda 

UK medical research charity MRC Technology sold part of its royalty interest in US pharma major MSD’s (NYSE: MRK) immunotherapy Keytruda (pembrolizumab) for $150 million to raise funds for new research.

The charity sold part of the interest in a leading cancer drug to private equity fund managed by DRI Capital.

Keytruda is a new generation treatment which stimulates the body’s immune system to fight cancer. MRC Technology humanised the antibody-based treatment, which has been approved in the US to treat advanced melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer, with breakthrough designations under US Food and Drug Administration’s accelerated approval pathway awarded for colorectal cancer and classical Hodgkin Lymphoma.

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A number of trials in other cancers are showing promising results.

Anjali Shukla

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