Merck shows off expanded pipeline

Merck has put its new pipeline on display for the first time since its October merger with Schering-Plough was completed.

Its integrated line of late-stage products includes 40 phase II and phase III small molecules, vaccines and biologics across a range of therapy areas including atherosclerosis, thrombosis, cancer, diabetes, hepatitis C, insomnia, and schizophrenia.

“The combination of two complementary pipelines has yielded a robust and diversified portfolio to fuel Merck’s future growth,” said Peter Kim, president of Merck Research Laboratories.

The new pipeline needs to be robust because established drugs such as anti-hypertensives Cozaar and Hyzaar face major losses over the next year due to generic competition.

There are 20 candidates are either in phase III or under regulatory review, while another 20 are in phase II and there appears to have been relatively little pipeline crossover.

Only the companies’ hepatitis C and cancer programmes required a lead molecule to be prioritised for development: Vaniprevir (MK-7009), a second-generation hepatitis C protease inhibitor and dalotuzumab (MK-0646), an IGF-1R inhibitor, both currently in phase II.

On paper, the cardiovascular disease and infectious disease programmes look strongest.

Merck has anacetrapib (atherosclerosis); acadesine (ischemia reperfusion injury); betrixaban (thrombosis); MK-524A (atherosclerosis); MK 524B (atherosclerosis); MK-0736 (hypertension); vernakalant J, (atrial fibrillation) and vorapaxar (thrombosis) in cardiovascular.

In infectious disease it has boceprevir (hepatitis C); MK-3009 (Staphylococcus); MK 3415A (Clostridium difficile); vicriviroc (HIV); vaniprevir (hepatitis C); V419 (pediatric vaccine); V503 (Human Papilloma Virus vaccine) and V710 (Staphylococcus aureus vaccine).

The company is also pinning hopes on phase III trials for MK-4305, a novel orexin antagonist being evaluated for insomnia, and an allergy immunotherapy tablet for ragweed allergies (SCH 39641).

Merck is to present more information on the pipeline in its R&D and business briefing on 11 May.

The company recently received regulatory approvals for Simponi (golimumab), Saphris (asenapine) and Elonva (corifollitropin alfa injection) and its 2009 results were boosted by the acquisition of Schering-Plough to the tune of $7.53 billion in sales.

But it wants to make savings of $3.5 billion by 2012, a programme of cuts which includes reducing its combined 100,000 strong workforce by 15% by 2012.

AstraZeneca snaps up interest in joint venture

Meanwhile, AstraZeneca is to pay Merck $647 million in April to buy Merck’s interest in AstraZeneca’s own non-proton pump inhibitor (non-PPI) products.

These are Atacand, Lexxel, Plendil and Entocort as well as other products in clinical development. AstraZeneca will now have an option to acquire Merck's interest in the PPI products, including Nexium, from 2012.