[Power Alley] Merck To Pay Up To $1.1 Billion, In Future "Bio-Bucks", To Bill Gates-Backed Cerevance: In A Fresh Approach, To Alzheimer's?

I do not mean to suggest any form of cynicism here. Alzheimer's is a very, very tough bio nut to crack. And this "small but mighty" Cambridge based company has shown some promising early results, in mitigating Parkinson's with these approaches. So, there is good reason to be hopeful.

But we all (long time readers, here) know the manifold history of flame-outs, across the industry -- in going after Alzheimer's, over the past two decades. Even so, we will wish the pair the best (story via Fierce Biotech):

. . .Another Big Pharma is entering -- or rather re-entering -- the Alzheimer’s ring. Merck & Co. has signed a billion-dollar biobucks deal with Cerevance to identify new therapies for the devastating neurodegenerative disease.

First, the details: Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Cerevance will receive a $25 million upfront payment from the pharma plus as much as $1.1 billion in milestones and royalties later on to develop novel targets for Alzheimer’s. The deal also involves a single discovery-stage program that will be licensed out to Merck. . . .

I too, will now strive for a re-entry, of sorts -- to offer more than occasional random looks at Merck's pipeline deals, and M&A activities. . . but it may take a bit, as the sphere political and race-relations-related. . . seems to both be darkening, and drawing me inward. . . day by day.

Onward, just the same -- it is sunny and cool out, afterall. Smile. . . .

नमस्ते