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Merck's Deal Focus

Merck & Co. Inc.'s recovery drive involves changing every aspect of its business, and doing so urgently. That urgency applies to partnering, too: In March 2006, the giant announced three new deals, one with NicOx on a series of anti-hypertension compounds, one with Neuromed in pain and the third with Paratek Pharmaceuticals Inc. for a Phase I antibiotic. They mark a shift at Merck towards more clinical stage dealmaking.

At the end of last year, Merck & Co. Inc. 's new CEO Richard Clark announced a company-wide program to help the group recover the leading position it enjoyed prior to the withdrawal of rofecoxib (Vioxx). "We need to change our approach to virtually every aspect of our business, and we must act with a sense of urgency," he declared.

The urgency apparently applies to partnering, too—a key facet of Merck's "Plan to Win," aiming to achieve leadership position in...

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