Endocyte (NASDAQ: ECYT) has partnered with pharma powerhouse Merck (NYSE: MRK) to develop its experimental drug vintafolide, a compound with orphan drug status in Europe that's used to treat a specific type of ovarian cancer. The companies submitted their official application for the approval of vintafolide to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) today.
As this drug goes under review, health-care analysts Max Macaluso and Brenton Flynn discuss the details of this partnership and another cancer drug for which Merck is seeking approval along with biotech Ariad (Nasdaq: ARIA).