Merck & Co. Partners with Mestag Therapeutics to Identify Novel Targets for Inflammatory Diseases

Partnership Agreement:
Mestag Therapeutics has entered into a license and research collaboration with Merck & Co. (MSD) to identify novel targets for the development of therapies against inflammatory diseases.

Technology Platform:
Mestag will utilize its proprietary Reversing Activated Fibroblast Technology (RAFT) platform to model the pathogenic role of fibroblasts in human disease and identify potential targets.

Financial Terms:
The agreement includes an upfront payment, access fees, and the potential for downstream payments totaling up to $1.9 billion if Merck exercises its option to license and commercialize the identified targets.

Collaboration Scope:
Merck has the option to license one or more targets, up to a prespecified number, and will be responsible for the discovery, development, and commercialization of resulting therapeutics.

Mestag's Expertise:
Mestag specializes in harnessing insights into fibroblast-immune interactions to develop treatments for cancer and inflammatory diseases, leveraging its expertise in activated fibroblasts to identify novel therapeutic targets.

Strategic Impact:
This collaboration aims to address significant unmet needs in inflammatory diseases by exploring new therapeutic options based on fibroblast biology.