Partnership Agreement to Provide Funding for Studies on Immunology of Cancer

A partnership agreement between a Germany-based pharmaceutical company and a major Israeli research institute will ensure several years' funding for studies in the fields of immunology and immuno-oncology.

The agreement between Merck KGaA (Darmstadt, Germany) and the Weizmann Institute of Science (Rehovot, Israel) confirms the German pharmaceutical company's commitment to the Israeli institute by providing the framework for provision of funds amounting to one million euros per year for each of the next three years. The funds will be used to promote research in the fields of immunology and immuno-oncology over the initial three-year period with an option for multiple successive extensions of two years each.

Merck’s connection to the Weizmann Institute stretches as far back as 1978. Merck’s top selling multiple sclerosis drug Rebif, which had sales of 1.8 billion euros in 2014, has intellectual roots in the Weizmann Institute, as has its oncology drug Erbitux, which had sales of 900 million euros in 2014.

“We have focused our healthcare research activities on the highly promising fields of immuno-oncology, immunology, and oncology as we are striving to deliver new solutions to respond to unmet medical needs,” said Stefan Oschmann, deputy CEO and vice chairman of the executive board of Merck KGaA. “We are excited that the new framework agreement will cover the first two of these three areas and are already looking forward to the proposals of the distinguished Weizmann scientists.”

“We are proud that such a fruitful relationship like the one we have with Merck has now been extended and that we have the chance to take part in creating new innovative solutions in such critical fields that so many patients globally are suffering from,” said Dr. Mudi Sheves, vice president of technology transfer at the Weizmann Institute of Science.

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Merck KGaA
Weizmann Institute of Science