Advertise With UsAdvertise on our extensive network of industry websites and newsletters.
Get the PBR newsletterSign up to our free email to get all the latest PBR
news.Domain Therapeutics has signed an exclusive development and licensing agreement with Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, to develop metabotropic glutamate receptor 4 (mGluR4) Positive Allosteric Modulator (PAM) drugs targeting Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Subscribe to our email newsletter
mGluR4 is a glutamate receptor, member of the G-Protein Coupled Receptor (GPCR) family and is believed to be a potential therapeutic target for Parkinson’s disease.
Allosteric modulation of mGluR4 receptors is thought to exert regulatory activity on glutamate-mediated neurotransmission.
Domain Therapeutics will contribute optimized compounds that have been developed from its proprietary chemical series.
Under the terms of the agreement, Domain Therapeutics will receive €2m in upfront payment and research funding, and is eligible for up to €132m in milestones for the first two products, as well as undisclosed royalties.
Domain Therapeutics CEO Pascal Neuville said the agreement is a validation of Domain Therapeutics’ business model of addressing difficult GPCRs and partnering compounds, with a significant deal, at an early stage of development.
Merck Serono EVP for Global Research and Development Bernhard Kirschbaum said the partnership with Domain Therapeutics reflects their long-term commitment to develop new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.