Merck renews commitment to Bionomics MS partnership

Adelaide-based biotech Bionomics has announced that its partnership with Merck Serono to develop treatments for MS and other autoimmune diseases has been extended by a year.

A division of German pharmaceutical giant Merck KgaA, Merck Serono is trying to develop potential new treatments for multiple sclerosis ( MS ) and other autoimmune conditions based on compounds from Bionomics’ Kv1.3 program.

Under the 2008 agreement, Bionomics received an upfront payment of US$2 million in addition to committed research funding, that has now been extended under the current amendment, the company said. All development activities, including clinical development of drug candidates, will be funded by Merck Serono.

The Bionomics compounds licensed by Merck Serono target the potassium ion channel Kv1.3, which is a key modulator of the immune system and a target found on those human immune cells associated with nerve cell damage in patients with MS. Inhibitors of Kv1.3 have been shown to inhibit the proliferation of these immune cells, pointing to potential applications in the treatment of MS and other autoimmune conditions, such as arthritis.