09:02 AM EDT, 10/14/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Exelixis ( EXEL ) and Merck ( MRK ) said Monday they have signed a clinical development collaboration for trials of combination therapies for head and neck cancer and renal cell carcinoma, a type of kidney cancer.

Under the terms of the collaboration, the companies said they will evaluate Exelixis' ( EXEL ) investigational tyrosine kinase inhibitor zanzalintinib with Merck's ( MRK ) Keytruda in a phase 3 pivotal trial for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

The companies also said they will assess zanzalintinib with Merck's ( MRK ) Welireg in a phase 1/2 trial and in two phase 3 trials for renal cell carcinoma.

Merck ( MRK ) will fund one of the phase 3 studies, with Exelixis ( EXEL ) co-funding the phase 1/2 trial and the other phase 3 study and supplying zanzalintinib and cabozantinib, the companies said.

Exelixis ( EXEL ) will keep all worldwide commercial and marketing rights to zanzalintinib under the terms of the collaboration.

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