Vertex Pharmaceuticals initiated a Phase II development program for VX-680, an investigational drug candidate targeting Aurora kinase. In connection with the Phase II program, Vertex earned a $10 million milestone payment from Merck. The two companies have a global collaboration to develop and commercialize VX-680. The initiation of Phase II development for VX-680 is based on the enrollment of patients with advanced colorectal cancer in a Phase II extension of a previous Phase I clinical st...