Taiho and Astex Extend Strategic Oncology Collaboration with MSD Granting Exclusive License to SHP2 Program Taiho and Astex Extend Strategic Oncology Collaboration with MSD Granting Exclusive License to SHP2 Program
TOKYO, Japan; 13 January, 2021 Taiho Pharmaceutical Co, Ltd., (hereinafter Taiho) announces that it and Astex Pharmaceuticals (UK), (hereinafter Astex), both Otsuka group companies, have granted an exclusive license under their joint, small-molecule drug discovery program targeting SHP2 to Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada (hereinafter MSD) through a subsidiary. An option for MSD to acquire the exclusive license to the Astex-Taiho SHP2 program was included as part of the strategic oncology collaboration between MSD, Astex and Taiho, announced in January 2020. The collaboration focuses on the discovery and development of small molecule inhibitors against several drug targets, including the KRAS oncogene, which are currently being investigated for the treatment of cancer.