CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Archemix Corp. and Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, announced today that they have formed a multi-year strategic alliance to discover, develop and commercialize first-in-class aptamer therapeutics with a primary focus on the treatment of cancer. The alliance combines Archemix’ proprietary SELEX technology to discover and generate aptamer candidates with Merck’s demonstrated oncology drug development and commercialization capabilities. Under the terms of the agreement, Archemix will receive a $29.8 million equity investment from Merck KGaA. Merck KGaA also retains an option, under certain circumstances, to acquire additional Archemix common stock upon an initial public offering. Other financial terms were not disclosed. This is the second research agreement this year between the two companies.
