Oncology-focused biotech company Exelixis Inc (NASDAQ:EXEL) and US pharmaceutical company Merck & Co Inc (NYSE:MRK), known as MSD outside the US and Canada, on Monday announced a clinical development collaboration to evaluate zanzalintinib, Exelixis' investigational tyrosine kinase inhibitor, in combination with KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) for head and neck cancer and with WELIREG (belzutifan) for renal cell carcinoma.

Under the terms of the collaboration, Merck will supply KEYTRUDA for the ongoing, Exelixis-sponsored STELLAR-305 trial in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and will sponsor a phase 1/2 trial and two phase 3 pivotal trials in renal cell carcinoma.

Merck will fund one of these phase 3 studies, and Exelixis will co-fund the phase 1/2 trial and the other phase 3 study, as well as supply zanzalintinib and cabozantinib. Exelixis maintains all global commercial and marketing rights to zanzalintinib.