Merck Forms Non-Profit Research Institute

Pharmaceutical giant Merck announced last week that it would create a non-profit research entity called the California Institute for Biomedical Research (Calibr). The institute aims to hire about 150 scientists and will be headed by chemist and serial entrepreneur Peter Schultz of The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California.

Pharmaceutical companies are eagerly entering into academic collaborations as a way to continue seeking new drug discoveries while trimming research and development (R&D) budgets. Merck has cut its R&D budget by over $600 million since 2009.

Calibr will allow Merck to tap into basic biomedical research while opening up drug-discovery tools to academics, says Peter Kim, Merck’s head of R&D. “There are scientists who would very much like to see whether or not they can utilize their discoveries to develop a drug, but they don’t have access to the medicinal chemistry or pharmacology tools they need,” he says.

Merck, meanwhile, will have the option of an exclusive license on any proteins or small-molecule therapeutics to emerge from the work. Calibr will be free to seek outside funding to develop projects that Merck decides not to license.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!