Abide Therapeutics, Merck to Develop Drugs for Metabolic Diseases, Diabetes

Abide Therapeutics Inc. May 2 announced that it has begun a collaboration with Merck & Co. to develop and commercialize small-molecule therapies directed against three novel targets to treat metabolic diseases with a focus on type 2 diabetes.

Abide is a San Diego-based biopharmaceutical company developing innovative approaches to selectively target a group of enzymes known as serine hydrolases. These enzymes play a key role in human physiological processes, such as digestion, metabolism, inflammation, and blood clotting, the company said.

Under the collaboration agreement, Abide is eligible to receive an upfront payment, research funding, and potential milestone payments for up ...