Mestag Therapeutics has announced a partnership with MSD (Merck & Co.) to identify new drug targets for inflammatory diseases, in a deal worth up to $1.9 billion.
As part of the agreement, MSD will have the option to license targets identified through Mestag’s RAFT platform, which focuses on fibroblast-immune interactions in inflammatory diseases. MSD will handle the discovery, development, and commercialization of any therapies that emerge from the collaboration.
Mestag will receive an upfront payment along with access fees and the potential for additional payments based on milestones. The agreement includes options for MSD to license a specific number of targets identified through the collaboration.
Based in Cambridge, UK, Mestag Therapeutics specializes in using fibroblast biology to develop therapies for cancer and inflammatory diseases. The RAFT platform is central to the company's efforts to discover new drug targets.