Merck Partners With Seattle Institute to Identify COVID-19 Mechanisms

Merck has teamed up with the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) in Seattle to learn more about how the SARS-Cov-2 coronavirus affects the human body. This is the drugmaker’s first entry into the search for COVID-19 treatments or a vaccine.

ISB researchers will evaluate blood samples and nasal swabs from hundreds of patients to assess the impact of the virus on different organs and to identify biomarkers that predict the risk of severe disease. 

The aim of the research is to identify targets for potential therapies and vaccines. The findings will be made available to the global scientific community.