US pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co has just announced two major developments in its business. The company revealed that it is pushing ahead with its plans to acquire Austrian vaccine maker Themis Bioscience, while at the same time collaborating with a number of medical research and development firms to develop new vaccines for Covid-19.
The New Jersey-based company has mostly been staying at the sidelines of the global race to develop a vaccine for the novel coronavirus. However, the new moves indicate that it may be preparing to join the race in a very big way. Merck announced that it has just established new partnerships with non-profit research firm IAVI and privately held firm Ridgeback Biotherapeutics to develop different types of vaccines for the virus.
The company is working with IAVI to develop two separate vaccines, while its work with Ridgeback involves the development of an experimental oral antiviral drug to treat Covid-19 patients. The company's chief executive officer, Ken Frazier, mentioned in a statement that Merck was simply biding its time and was waiting for the best opportunities before jumping into the global race.
Frazier explained that the company wanted to work with companies that had proven track records. He explained that by patiently choosing to work with drugs that had the right kind of characteristics, Merck can place itself in a more advantageous position to develop the right kind of treatment.
Merck's acquisition of Themis Bioscience will give the company access to the latter's latest coronavirus vaccine candidate, which was developed in collaboration with the Institut Pasteur in Paris. The vaccine is based on a modified measles virus that is used as a carrier for deactivated coronavirus strains.
Meanwhile, the coronavirus vaccine that it is co-developing with IAVI is based on the vaccine Merck had developed to treat Ebola called ERVEBO. Merck's Ebola vaccine had previously received approvals from the FDA and the European Commission. According to Merck, the vaccine is expected to enter human trials within this year with the support of the US Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).
Due to its late entry in the global race, Merck's vaccines are estimated to be about a month or two behind the vaccine being developed by Moderna. However, Merck's vaccine and the ones being developed by Johnson & Johnson and Sanofi are expected to be added to wide efficacy trials this summer to wrap up early-stage studies. Frazier stated that the company is confident that its vaccines will be part of the efficacy trials later this year.
