Merck and Astex announce expansion to oncology drug discovery collaboration

MSD – known as Merck & Co in the US and Canada – and Astex Pharmaceuticals have expanded their drug discovery collaboration, with the goal of identifying small-molecule candidates with activity towards a tumour suppressor protein.

The partnership will see Astex apply its fragment-based drug discovery platform to develop therapeutics targeting forms of the p53 tumour suppressor protein. The candidates will then be handed off to MSD for further optimisation and preclinical development.