Biotech Values

[microcapfun]

>>Friend is not always right, of course; for instance, he was the impetus behind MRK’s collaboration with Geron which has come up empty.<<

Merck only this month took a telomerase vaccine into the clinic. They licensed the target (hTERT) from Geron - which cost them very little so far. The vaccine platform is their own.

In addition they paid all of $1M for an option to inlicense Geron's vaccine platform to use with the telomerase target, but they let that option lapse w/o exercising it.

I would say that Merck & Friend risked little in the Geron collaboration, and it is too early to say they came up "empty".

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