In July 2017, AstraZeneca completed a transaction on a cancer drug collaboration with Merck. Merck will pay AstraZeneca up to $8.5 billion in total consideration, including $1.6 billion upfront, $750 million for certain license options and up to $6.15 billion contingent upon successful achievement of future regulatory and sales milestones. Gowling WLG acted for AstraZeneca on this transaction.

The companies will develop and commercialise Lynparza jointly, both as monotherapy and in combination with other potential medicines.

The team at Gowling WLG acted for AstraZeneca and included Patrick Duxbury, Luke Kempton, Jenny Davies, Chris Freeth, Mathilda Davidson and Ammina Rao plus Jeremy Millington in corporate. The AstraZeneca in house legal team was led by Deputy General Counsel Liam McIlveen and Senior Counsel Matt Chuter.