Merck Serono ditches another multiple sclerosis candidate

Merck Serono's future prospects in the multiple sclerosis market look even less impressive following its decision to drop a Phase II multiple sclerosis candidate that it licensed from Japanese firm Ono Pharmaceutical in 2011 for around €14m up front. The German company said ONO-4641/ceralifimod did not meet its threshold for continued investment, and that the termination decision was a mutual agreement.

The decision leaves Merck's MS franchise, represented by its top-selling drug Rebif (the injectable interferon beta-1a), looking increasingly vulnerable in...