The Burrill Report


Merck says it will use medical tests developed by Roche to identify patients likely to benefit most from its experimental cancer drugs in clinical trials as part of a new collaboration agreement between the companies.

In addition to using already-approved tests created by Roche’s diagnostics division, Merck will expand its use of Roche's investigational AmpliChip p53 assay to stratify and identify patients suitable for inclusion in ongoing and planned trials, it says. That test, which Merck first gained access to in a research agreement struck in February 2010, employs DNA amplification and technology to detect mutations in the tumor suppressor gene p53.

Financial details of the collaboration were not released, but Merck’s senior vice president and head of oncology research, Gary Gilliland, highlighted the importance of the deal to Merck’s cancer plans, saying that “effective use of companion diagnostics is an important component of our oncology development strategy focused on targeted therapies.”

Better diagnostic abilities are likely to play a key role in the success of future cancer therapies. For instance, as many as 40 percent of patients with lung cancer in Asia demonstrate a mutation that is relatively rare in Western patients, according to a joint statement by Merck, Eli Lilly, and Pfizer, which together formed the Asian Cancer Research Group in February 2010. That genetic mutation results in differences in response to some types of therapeutic agents, information that could prove essential to identifying the best candidates for clinical trials in Asian markets.

The Merck-Roche collaboration also fits into a broader strategy at Merck to improve the speed and effectiveness of its cancer trials, embodied in the launch of the Merck Oncology Collaborative Trials Network, a global network of leading cancer research centers announced one year ago to accelerate development by “fundamentally changing” the way the company evaluates and advances its oncology pipeline.




June 10, 2011
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