| June 11, 2007--It's not just another Monday for Archemix Corp. The aptamer
therapeutics company today announced two deals totaling more than $35
million--one with Merck Serono (a division of Merck KGaA), another with
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited. The deal with Merck marks the second
agreement struck this year between the two companies.
Archemix and Merck Serono formed a $29.8-million strategic alliance toward
the commercialization of first-in-class aptamer therapeutics, with a primary
focus on the treatment of cancer. Under the agreement, Archemix receives the
$29.8 million in the form of an equity investment from Merck KGaA. The deal
combines Archemix's proprietary SELEX technology for the discovery of
aptamer candidates with Merck's track record in oncology drug development.
Bernhard
Kirschbaum, executive senior vice president and director of
research at Merck Serono, stated their belief that aptamers can create a new
paradigm of treatment, noting in his statement that "Aptamers have the
potential to play a key role in the next generation of drugs in our core
therapeutic areas."
Also released today, Archemix and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited
announced their three-target agreement toward commercialization of
first-in-class aptamer-based therapeutics. In addition to an upfront payment
of $6 million, Archemix will receive committed research funding, certain
milestone payments, and royalties on sales of developed aptamers
commercialized by Takeda. Targets under the deal are identified by Takeda.
"Our alliance with Takeda is the sixth major partnership we have formed
within the past year and is a major step in the continued validation of
aptamer therapeutics," Errol De Souza, Ph.D., president and CEO of
Archemix, said in a statement.
Aptamers are single-stranded nucleic acids that form well-defined
three-dimensional shapes, allowing them to bind target molecules in a manner
that is conceptually similar to antibodies. Aptamers are chemically
synthesized and exhibit high specificity and affinity, chemical stability,
low immunogenicity, and the ability to target protein-protein interactions.
Archemix is primarily focused on developing drugs to treat acute
cardiovascular and hematology diseases and cancer. Several of its compounds
are moving into Phase II clinical trials.
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