BILLERICA, US: Merck has entered into a set of contracts with Evotec AG, where Evotec will offer screening services for Merck's collection of genetic reagents such as CRISPR and shRNA libraries.
Merging access to these libraries with Evotec's screening expertise offers an enhanced pathway to discover and identify new drug targets.
The partnership allows customers to select a customised set of CRISPR and shRNA libraries, and then leverage Evotec's extensive capabilities in phenotypic screening within primary and induced pluripotent stem cells and in vivo disease models. The target identification workflow is further accelerated through the use of custom-engineered cell lines developed by Merck's Cell Design Studio. These cell lines are used by Evotec to customise screening assays and deliver answers more efficiently.
Merck partners with the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute for its arrayed CRISPR library covering the entire human genome. The company is also the manufacturer and distributor of the world's largest RNAi clone library, created in collaboration with The RNAi Consortium.
"Drug discovery starts with the identification of new targets, a process that can be time- and labor-intensive. Our teamwork with Evotec accelerates the discovery workflow, enabling customers to more rapidly and efficiently explore disease pathways and find new targets," said Theresa Creasey, head of applied solutions strategic marketing & innovation, Life Science.
"Deploying Merck's assay-ready reagents on our cellular screening platforms and in vivo models creates powerful drug discovery capabilities and more value to our customers through such a comprehensive solution," added Dr Mario Polywka, chief operating officer of Evotec.
Read More: Merck, Evotec collaborate to discover new drug targets
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