Celera Genomics Announces Clinical Milestone Payment From Merck

27-Jul-2004

South Sa Francisco. Celera Genomics Group, an Applera Corporation business, announced receipt of a milestone payment from Merck & Co. Inc. under the Cathepsin K inhibitor collaboration agreement between the companies.

This payment recognizes Merck's advancement of a Cathepsin K inhibitor into a Phase I clinical trial as a potential treatment for osteoporosis. If this compound or others developed under the Cathepsin K collaboration are successfully developed and advanced toward commercialization, Celera Genomics will receive additional milestone payments and royalties on net sales from Merck.

"We are pleased to have made a contribution to Merck's Cathepsin K program," said Kathy Ordoñez, president, Celera Genomics. "Their progress affirms our expertise in drug design, particularly in the field of enzyme inhibitors."

A multi-year collaboration with Merck to develop small molecule inhibitors of Cathepsin K was initiated in November 1996. Celera Genomics and Merck extended the research collaboration in December 2001 and Celera continued to provide a series of candidate compounds to support Merck's research programs. Celera Genomics' portion of the collaboration was completed in February 2003; since that time, Merck has been responsible for further research and development related to collaboration compounds.

Osteoporosis is a major risk factor for bone fractures and associated disability that affects over 10 million Americans, especially post-menopausal women. Cathepsin K is a member of a large family of cysteine proteases, and has been highly associated with the ability of osteoclasts to degrade bone, a condition which is exacerbated in osteoporosis. Inhibiting this excessive enzyme activity may slow or reverse this condition, providing a potential new avenue of chronic therapy.

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