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news.KineMed and Merck & Co. are to collaborate on research to find treatments for atherosclerosis in a deal that could net KineMed up to $70 million in milestone payments.
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KineMed’s proprietary reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) technology will be used to evaluate investigational compounds discovered by Merck, the company said. RCT is the only known metabolic pathway by which excess cholesterol can be removed from tissues. A relevant increase in the rate of RCT is the goal of approaches that seek to raise HDL levels for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis.
Under the terms of the agreement, KineMed could receive from Merck in excess of $5.5 million in initial and research payments should the collaboration extend for the full term and up to $70 million in milestones for each of up to 10 investigational compounds developed using KineMed’s RCT technology. Milestones would also be payable under certain other conditions which have not been disclosed.
David Fineman, president and CEO of KineMed, said: “The objective of the collaboration is to generate clinical data illustrating on-mechanism effects upon RCT, which our partner can then use to make decisions in order to advance its therapeutic programs.”