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news.Gedeon and Forest Laboratories have entered into two new collaboration agreements involving two novel mechanisms targeted for the treatment of various central nervous system conditions.
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The first collaboration will focus upon a group of compounds that target the NMDA 2B receptor and will be developed for the treatment of chronic pain and other CNS conditions. The first of this group of compounds is called RGH-896 and is currently in early clinical development. Forest and Richter intend to initiate a phase IIb study in neuropathic pain in the US in the second half of 2006.
Relating to this collaboration, Forest will pay Richter undisclosed upfront and milestone payments in addition to royalties, and will have exclusive rights in the US and Canada. The two companies will jointly fund the development program.
The second collaboration will focus upon a group of novel compounds that target the group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGLUR1/5). mGLUR1/5 antagonists represent novel potential agents for the treatment of anxiety, depression and other CNS conditions.
Relating to the mGLUR1/5 collaboration, Forest will pay Richter undisclosed upfront and milestone payments in addition to royalties and will have exclusive rights in North America, while Richter will retain exclusive rights in Europe and countries of the former Soviet Union. The two companies will share rights in all other territories.
The two new agreements build upon the ongoing and successful collaboration between the two companies announced in 2004 for the novel antipsychotic RGH-188 and related compounds. RGH-188 has successfully completed testing in healthy volunteers and is currently undergoing initial trials in schizophrenia patients.