Merck: reaches US deal for Covid-19 treatment

(CercleFinance.com) - Merck said on Wednesday that it will collaborate with the US government to manufacture an experimental treatment for serious Covid-19 disease.


Under the deal, the drugmaker will receive up to approximately 356 million dollars for the supply of approximately 60,000-100,000 doses of MK-7110 to the United States through June 2021, upon FDA approval.

In a Phase-3 trial including 203 participants, the drug showed a 60% higher probability of improvement in clinical status compared to placebo, also cutting the risk of death or respiratory failure by more than 50%.

Merck acquired MK-7110, a recombinant fusion protein that targets the innate immune system, through the acquisition of biotech firm OncoImmune. Clinical trials are still ongoing.

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