TLT and Merck: A match made in heavenTLT will need a life-science heavyweight as a go-to-market partner, preferably through a licensing, royalty and milestone payment arrangement.
Without a doubt, the most obvious prospective partner is the German giant, Merck.
As the world's only supplier of BCG, Merck is already omnipresent in the NMIBC treatment business.
So why would Merck want to do a deal with TLT?
Largely because Merck is making little, if any money on BCG.
Now envision a scenario where Merck is fronting TLT's FDA-approved PDT for NMIBC.
And that's just the starting point. With Merck guiding commercialization, we would see a much faster route to EU approval.
But the best outcome of all is that Merck spearheads whatever trials are required for TLT's NMIBC to be declared STANDARD OF CARE.
So Merck retains its status as the leader in NMIBC, but now it has a treatment with plenty of profit potential.
But there's another important angle to this story that gives further credence to a possible TLT-Merck hook-up.
The TLD-1433 compound is produced by Sigma-Aldrich, acquired by Merck in a US$17M deal five years ago.
So TLT already has a foot in the door with a Merck unit. And that helps makes the case for a bigger partnership where two leaders in NMIBC join forces to bring the best and most patient-friendly treatment to those afflicted with bladder cancer.