Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Merck pens license deal with Protein Sciences

By Patricia Resende, Correspondent

Protein Sciences Corp.has closed a non-exclusive deal with Merck & Co. Inc. to license its insect cell line to use in Merck’s vaccine research.

The pharmaceutical giant, through a subsidiary, has also secured an exclusive license to use Protein Sciences’ expressSF+ technolgy for commercialization of an undisclosed vaccine candidate, according to a new release. ExpressSF+ (Spodoptera frugiperda) is an insect cell line. Products manufactured from the cells have been used in clinical testing in the United States, Canada, Europe and Japan.

Merck will pay the Meridien, Conn.-based vaccine developer and producer of proteins an up-front fee, the amount of which was not disclosed. Protein Sciences, founded in 1983, will receive payment whenever Merck uses Protein Science’s technology for additional vaccine candidates, according to the company. More than 1,000 proteins have been developed using Protein Sciences’ technology.

The folks at Protein Sciences are excited that New Jersey-based Merck has chosen it’s technology and that it has joined the company’s list of pharmacetucial companies that have already signed similar license agreements, the company’s Executive Chairman Dan Adams said in a statement. One of those companies licensing expressSF+ includes Boehringer Ingelheim Corp., a family-owned pharmaceutical company founded in 1885. 

Protein Sciences was named one of Connecticut’s fastest growing life sciences companies in 2011 by the Connecticut Technology Council. Winners are selected on the basis of revenue growth over four years, and must have at least $3 million in revenue.