Merck_PE - Reprint 9985050 - (Page 2) But I do think Merck’s attitude has blood partners in early research, such as the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, which changed. Dr. Peter Kim [president of recently signed a deal with Merck to Merck Research Laboratories], who came from outside Merck, was a big identify oncology drug targets. So with the ferocious competition part of that. for compounds, how has Merck managed to stand out from the pack? To un- How did Dr. Kim change Merck? derstand, Barbara Yanni, vice president You can see his in uence in deals like and chief licensing of cer, says you only the one with Sirna. Sirna’s business have to look as far as the company’s for- model was to do different deals in difmula for business development: hire sci- ferent therapeutic areas. We started entists to talk the science and comb the to talk with them about a license in a earth for compounds. It sounds expen- particular category. But Dr. Kim’s view sive and a little chaotic, but the proof was that if it worked, it would work in that it’s working, in this case, is in the a lot of therapeutic areas. The platform had the potential to really change drug pipeline. Yanni, who is responsible for con- discovery and drug development. And if structing the terms of licensing deals that could happen, he wanted Merck to and partnerships, has been at Merck be a part of it. So Dr. Kim had this vision—and he for more than two decades, after starting in the industry as a tax lawyer. was able to convey that vision to MerYanni sat down with Pharm Exec to ck’s Board of Directors. He was very discuss the company’s growing num- articulate, and convinced them to move ber of deals, and what she feels is Merck’s scienti c With three late-stage deals tendered in 2007 advantage. from just a license to a full acquisition of the company. After the Sirna deal, other companies rushed in to snatch up the other major players in RNAi. Are there other areas where you see that happening? You might see the same thing in, say, cancer, after a target is discovered. If suddenly a company announces they’ve entered Phase II with a certain mechanism, that can catch attention and move a mechanism up or down in terms of a company’s priorities. It also shows how licensing is in uenced by what happens on the outside of the company. Science is constantly changing. And in a way, licensing just follows that. We’re just the piece that you see—there are all kinds of other things going on in the research labs. For example, you might have read about our deal with the Swiss company Addex on Merck’s Power Pipeline You hear often that the old Merck was “internally focused.” When did that change? To some extent, I think it was exaggerated how internally focused Merck was. I mean, 10 or even ve years ago, what company would you have said was “externally focused”? Even in the 80s, some of Merck’s products were from outside. Prilosec, for example, came from the Astra deal, and Pepcid was from Yamanouchi in Japan. alone, Merck has what some say is the strongest Phase III pipeline in the industry PHASE I PHASE I Infect. Dis., MK-7009 PHASE II Alzheimer’s Dis., MK-0249 Atherosclerosis, MK-0859 Atherosclerosis, MK-0633 Cancer, MK-0457 Cancer, MK-0822 PHASE III Atherosclerosis, MK-0524B UNDER FDA REVIEW › › Alzheimer’s Dis., V950 › Atherosclerosis, MK-1903 Atherosclerosis, MK-6213 Cancer, MK-0646 Cancer, MK-0752 Cancer, MK-2461 Infect. Dis., MK-8122 › › Infect. Dis., V512 Neurologic, MK-4305 › › › Atherosclerosis, MK-0524A CORDAPTIVE (pending trademark) Cancer, MK-8669 (deforolimus) CHF, MK-7418 (rolofylline) Hepatitis B Vaccine, V270 HEPISLAV Migraine, MK-0974 Obesity, MK-0364 (taranabant) 2007 APPROVALS › › › Diabetes JANUMET HIV, MK-0518 iSENTRESS › › Neurologic, MK-8998 Ophthalmic, MK-0140 › Cardiovascular, MK-8141 Cancer, MK-4721 Cancer, V930 Cardiovascular, MK-0448 Cardiovascular, MK-1809 Diabetes, MK-0941 Diabetes, MK-2662 Diabetes, MK-8245 Parkinson’s Dis., MK-9657 Psychiatric Dis., MK-5757 › Diabetes, MK-0893 HPV, V502 › › 2008 APPROVALS CINV, MK-0517 EMEND for injection Osteoporosis, MK-0822 (odanacatib) › › › › › Infect. Dis., MK-3281 Infect. Dis., MK-4965 › › › › › Infect. Dis., V419 Infect. Dis., V710 Neurologic, MK-0249 Ophthalmic, SIRNA-027 Pain, MK-2995* Psychiatric Dis., MK-0249 Respiratory Dis., MK-0633 Sarcopenia, MK-2866 Stroke, MK-0724 Progressed since February, 2007; Clinical Program conducted by Allergan, Inc.; * Proof-of-Concept Molecule
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Merck_PE - Reprint 9985050 Merck_PE - Reprint 9985050 Merck_PE - Reprint 9985050 - (Page 1) Merck_PE - Reprint 9985050 - (Page 2) Merck_PE - Reprint 9985050 - (Page 3) Merck_PE - Reprint 9985050 - (Page 4) Merck_PE - Reprint 9985050 - (Page 5) Merck_PE - Reprint 9985050 - (Page 6)
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.