Merrimack College

Merrimack Pharmaceuticals was a biopharmaceutical company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that specialized in developing personalized medicines for oncology using a proprietary systems biology approach. The company's "Network Biology" platform integrated computational modeling with experimental research to identify and target complex cellular signaling pathways involved in tumor growth. Their most significant achievement was the development and FDA approval of Onivyde (irinotecan liposome injection) for the treatment of metastatic pancreatic cancer. Following the sale of Onivyde and other assets to Ipsen and Shire in 2017, the company transitioned into a clinical-stage entity before being fully acquired by Ipsen in 2024. Merrimack's legacy is defined by its pioneering use of engineering principles to optimize drug discovery and therapeutic combinations.