AZ, Merck ink $8.5B PARP and MEK inhibitor deal

AstraZeneca plc (LSE:AZN; NYSE:AZN) and Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) partnered to co-develop and co-commercialize AZ’s PARP inhibitor Lynparza olaparib worldwide for multiple tumor types in a deal worth up to $8.5 billion. The deal also includes the joint development of AZ’s selumetinib (ARRY-886, AZD6244), a small molecule inhibitor of MAP kinase kinase 1 (MAP2K1; MEK1) and MAP2K2 (MEK2).

The companies will jointly develop and commercialize Lynparza as a monotherapy and in combination with other non-PD-L1 and non-PD-1 candidates, for which the partners will share costs...