Merck KGaA and Fast Forward, LLC Announce Collaboration to Accelerate Development of Treatments for Multiple Sclerosis

Merck and Fast Forward agree to work together to speed research and development on a select group of high potential MS research projects with support of up to $19 million in funding

23-Mar-2009 - USA

Merck KGaA announced today that its Merck Serono division and Fast Forward, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the American National multiple sclerosis Society, have entered a collaborative partnership to evaluate and fund promising multiple sclerosis (MS) research projects. Proposals will be jointly developed by Merck Serono and Fast Forward. Merck will provide up to $19 million in funding. The funds will support early stage clinical development projects with biotech companies or projects with individual researchers or academic institutions. To speed MS research and clinical development the companies have entered into a two-year worldwide agreement that may extend for an additional three years.

“Merck Serono and the American National Multiple Sclerosis Society have an unwavering commitment to the support of early stage research in the quest to find new and improved treatment options for MS patients. It is with great excitement that our organization supports this initiative with Fast Forward, which will explore new avenues to advance new MS treatments with the potential to transform people’s lives,” said Fereydoun Firouz, President and CEO of EMD Serono Inc., Merck’s pharmaceutical subsidiary in the USA.

Fast Forward, LLC was established by the American National Multiple Sclerosis Society to help bridge the gap between research and drug development. To accomplish this goal, Fast Forward partners with early stage biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies to advance therapies, diagnostics, medical devices, and related technologies to treat, reverse, and ultimately cure MS. Fast Forward is committed to deploying its resources to spur development of innovative MS therapies and bring them to market as quickly as possible.

The Early Stage Commercial Company Fund and the Innovation Accelerator Fund, the two programs in the Merck Serono collaboration, complement Fast Forward’s ongoing efforts to spur early-stage drug discovery for MS. Both programs will provide critical resources to underfunded stages of the drug development process and align with Fast Forward’s strategy to identify the most promising drug discovery research and accelerate the drug development process by providing financial resources to move it forward.

Fast Forward will disseminate requests for proposals (RFPs) in Q2 2009 with initial funding of proposals anticipated by December 2009. The overall selection of program awardees will be made exclusively by Fast Forward, with participation by Merck Serono under Fast Forward’s standard assessment process. The priority areas to be selected for development partnership will be determined by a joint committee comprising Fast Forward staff and representatives from Merck Serono. All funding disbursements will be managed and approved by the Fast Forward Board of Directors.

https://www.bionity.com/en/news/98589/merck-kgaa-and-fast-forward-llc-announce-collaboration-to-accelerate-development-of-treatments-for-multiple-sclerosis.html