MSD (tradename of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA) announced an exclusive worldwide research collaboration and license agreement with Taiho Pharmaceutical Co, Ltd., and Astex Pharmaceuticals (UK), a wholly owned subsidiary of Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., focused on the development of small molecule inhibitors against several drug targets, including the KRAS oncogene, which are currently being investigated for the treatment of cancer.