Roughly one in five Americans suffer from autoimmune diseases. Under normal conditions, an immune response is triggered against invading microorganisms such as viruses or bacteria. However, in certain cases, immune cells mistakenly attack the very cells that they are meant to protect, which can lead to a variety of autoimmune diseases.

A myriad of external stimuli interact with immune cells and are involved in the inappropriate signaling that results in autoimmune disease. Merrimack is exploring how stimuli such as cytokines, chemokines and other signaling molecules impact T cell, B cells and other immune cells.

The lead product in our autoimmunity effort is MM-093. In addition to clinical trials, Merrimack is supporting MM-093’s development through an extensive research effort focused on elucidating the molecular and cellular effects of MM-093 on the immune system. The goal of this research is to provide mechanistic data to guide the product’s clinical development, to identify companion diagnostics that could aid in the targeting of patients and additional indications, and to support additional research that could lead to the identification of additional products.

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