laboratory in Darmstadt, Germany, Verena Dresing
cultivates protein crystals for 3D structural analysis of
active ingredients and target proteins. A robot for
high-throughput protein crystallization assists in
identifying suitable conditions.
Research activities by Merck Serono in the therapeutic area Autoimmune and Inflammatory Diseases focus on proteins that modulate important mechanisms in the development of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.
Atacicept (formerly known as TACI-Ig) is a soluble fusion protein that neutralizes molecules involved in the development of various autoimmune diseases. Merck Serono is developing atacicept together with ZymoGenetics for the treatment of lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. A Phase II/III clinical trial to study atacicept in lupus nephritis, an autoimmune disease of the connective tissue and blood vessels that affects the kidneys, began in December 2007. In January 2008, Merck Serono received agreement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) for a Phase II/III trial with atacicept in patients with general systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
Fibroblast growth factor 18 (FGF 18) could represent a new treatment option for patients with osteoarthritis, a degenerative disease of the joints. Thanks to its novel mechanism of action, FGF 18 has the potential to become first-in-class in stimulating the regeneration of articular cartilage, thus not only treating the symptoms of the disease.
