CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARIA) today announced the initiation of a randomized, multi-center, Phase 2 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of oral deforolimus, its investigational mTOR inhibitor, in patients with advanced endometrial cancer. In collaboration with Merck & Co. Inc., deforolimus is currently being studied in multiple clinical trials, both alone and in combination with other therapies, in patients with several different types of cancer. Under terms of the agreement, ARIAD will receive a $2.5 million milestone payment from Merck upon treating the first patient in this clinical study.
