GALT vs MRK

Galectin Therapeutics Inc.

Galectin Therapeutics Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, engages in the research and development of therapies for fibrotic, cancer, and other diseases. The company's lead product candidate is (GR-MD-02) belapectin galectin-3 inhibitor, a galactoarabino-rhamnogalacturonan polysaccharide polymer that is in Phase III clinical trial for the treatment of liver fibrosis associated with fatty liver disease and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis cirrhosis, as well as for the treatment of cancer. It also engages in developing GM-CT-01, which is in pre-clinical development stage for the treatment of cardiac and vascular fibrosis, as well as focuses on developing belapectin for the treatment of psoriasis, and lung and kidney fibrosis. The company, through its Galectin Sciences, LLC, which is a collaborative joint venture co-owned by SBH Sciences, Inc., to research and development of small organic molecule inhibitors of galectin-3 for oral administration. The company was formerly known as Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and changed its name to Galectin Therapeutics, Inc. in May 2011. Galectin Therapeutics Inc. was founded in 2000 and is based in Norcross, Georgia.

Merck & Company Inc.

Merck & Co., Inc. operates as a healthcare company worldwide. It operates through two segments, Pharmaceutical and Animal Health segments. The Pharmaceutical segment offers human health pharmaceutical products in the areas of oncology, hospital acute care, immunology, neuroscience, virology, cardiovascular, diabetes, and women's health, as well as vaccine products. The Animal Health segment provides discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets a range of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and health management solutions and services, as well as a suite of digitally connected identification, traceability, and monitoring products. The company has collaborations with AstraZeneca PLC; Bayer AG; Eisai Co., Ltd.; and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics. It serves drug wholesalers and retailers, hospitals, and government agencies; managed health care providers, such as health maintenance organizations, pharmacy benefit managers, and other institutions; and physicians and physician distributors, veterinarians, and animal producers. The company has collaboration agreement with Gilead Sciences, Inc. to co-develop and co-commercialize long-acting investigational treatment combinations of Lenacapavir and Islatravir in HIV; Amathus Therapeutics to develop treatments for neurodegenerative diseases; and Linnaeus Therapeutics, Inc. to evaluate LNS8801 in combination with KEYTRUDA for patients with advanced cancer. It also has a collaboration with Biomed X Gmbh for building on ongoing research projects in the fields of oncology (DNA damage response and RNA splicing) and autoimmunity (intestinal epithelial barrier in autoimmune diseases); and a collaboration agreement with NGM Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. to focus primarily on the development of novel medicines for unmet patient needs in retinal and CVM diseases, including heart failure. Merck & Co., Inc. was founded in 1891 and is headquartered in Kenilworth, New Jersey.