The Winners Post-Vioxx: Merck's Product-Focused Biotechs
Executive Summary
Vioxx's withdrawal late in September just made partnering success even more critical to Merck & Co. With a $2.55 billion gap in revenues from Vioxx and having lost two Phase III development products late in 2003, the company now leans more heavily still on external R&D success. That's good news for Merck's partners--particularly those with products.
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Merck's Deal Focus
Merck & Co. Inc.'s recovery drive involves changing every aspect of its business, and doing so urgently. That urgency applies to partnering, too: In March 2006, the giant announced three new deals, one with NicOx on a series of anti-hypertension compounds, one with Neuromed in pain and the third with Paratek Pharmaceuticals Inc. for a Phase I antibiotic. They mark a shift at Merck towards more clinical stage dealmaking.
Merck's Deal Focus
Merck & Co. Inc.'s recovery drive involves changing every aspect of its business, and doing so urgently. That urgency applies to partnering, too: In March 2006, the giant announced three new deals, one with NicOx on a series of anti-hypertension compounds, one with Neuromed in pain and the third with Paratek Pharmaceuticals Inc. for a Phase I antibiotic. They mark a shift at Merck towards more clinical stage dealmaking.
The Vioxx Withdrawal: Can the Industry Avoid the Whirlpool?
The Vioxx withdrawal is one of those seminal events that, because of the players involved--the industry's largest companies, some of their most valuable drugs, both the European and American regulatory structures--holds up a mirror to an entire industry. Given the record breaking valuation slides, the market is taking a very critical look at the industry's strategies; so should the people who run it.