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news.Ligand Pharmaceuticals has agreed to supply clinical and commercial supplies of Captisol, a patent protected, chemically modified cyclodextrin with a structure designed to optimize the solubility and stability of drugs, to Merck.
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Captisol technology was originally developed by Ligand’s subsidiary company CyDex Pharmaceuticals.
The technology has enabled five FDA approved products, including Pfizer’s VFEND IV and Prism Pharmaceuticals’ NEXTERONE.
Reportedly, there are currently over 20 Captisol-enabled products in development, including Onyx pharmaceuticals’ carfilzomib program.
Ligand Pharmaceuticals EVP and COO Matt Foehr said Merck used Captisol to reformulate a drug in their portfolio and performed initial proof of concept under a research use agreement.
"This deal has the potential to add meaningful revenue to the Ligand business in the coming years and extends the already significant partnering relationship that we have developed with Merck over the past few years," Foehr said.