Aqilion and Merck have entered into a strategic research collaboration and exclusive license to discover, develop, and commercialize small molecule inhibitors of the TAK1 protein, which is known to mediate various inflammatory signals. Under the terms of the agreement, Merck will pay Aqilion an upfront cash payment of EUR 10 million, and Aqilion will be eligible for development and commercialization milestones of up to over EUR 950 million and tiered royalties on worldwide net sales. The collaboration will leverage Aqilion's experience and know-how in discovering selective TAK1 inhibitors and Merck's expertise in drug discovery and development. The partnership aims to develop differentiated TAK1 therapeutics for a broad range of autoimmune and inflammatory disease indications, including neurological diseases. Aqilion will be responsible for designing and synthesizing novel small molecule TAK1 inhibitors, while Merck will lead preclinical pharmacology and biology studies. Aqilion's CEO, Sarah Fredriksson, expressed excitement about the partnership and the opportunity to bring effective treatments to conditions with high unmet medical needs.
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