Also Last Week: Plaque Psoriasis Phase III Development License, With Sun Pharma

You (regular readers) will likely recall that Sun is Merck's partner of choice in India, at least to make authorized generic versions of sitagliptin (since April 2013 -- you know it as Januvia^®/Janumet^®). So, it makes sense that Whitehouse Station would partner up -- on this smallish local India market license candidate, called tildrakizumab. Plaque Psoriasis is a reasonably large global market opportunity. Nothing like the "big burden" cancers -- but a good market. SO it goes, whilst I was off the grid.

From the Economic Times (London -- but India section), then:

. . . .Tildrakizumab is being evaluated in Phase III registration trials for the treatment of chronic plaque psoriasis, a skin ailment.

"Merck will continue all clinical development and regulatory activities, which will be funded by Sun Pharma. Upon product approval, Sun Pharma will be responsible for regulatory activities, including subsequent submissions, pharmacovigilance, post approval studies, manufacturing and commercialisation of the approved product," it added.

Merck is eligible to receive undisclosed payments associated with regulatory (including product approval) and sales milestones, as well as tiered royalties ranging from mid-single digit through "teen percentage" rates on sales, the joint statement said. . . .

Beyond those very wide guardrails, there wasn't any more granularity on the economic terms. Stay tuned.