CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARIA) today announced the initiation of a Phase 2 clinical trial by Merck & Co., Inc. to evaluate the safety and efficacy of oral deforolimus, ARIAD’s investigational mTOR inhibitor, in patients with advanced prostate cancer. In collaboration with Merck, 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 the terms of the agreement, ARIAD will receive a $12.5 million milestone payment from Merck upon treatment of the first patient in this clinical study.
