The plan also calls for the expansion of business development initiatives to evaluate partnership opportunities across the company’s product pipeline and the streamlining of operations through an expense-reduction program. The company will evaluate partnership opportunities for tezampanel and NGX426 as treatments for migraine headache and other chronic pain and non-pain indications. This will be in addition to the company’s current partnering activities involving its gamma-secretase modulator (GSM) program, phenserine, Posiphen and bisnorcymserine.
With the more focused development and discovery activities and the February 28, 2008, conclusion of the discovery-phase GSM collaboration with Eisai Co. the company will streamline operations by reducing its work force. In addition, Neil Kurtz, the company’s president and CEO, will assume oversight of all clinical development programs.
Neil Kurtz, president and CEO of TorreyPines, said: “Our goal is to exploit the versatility of our product candidates by moving them forward strategically through at least proof-of-concept, while being aggressive in our pursuit of corporate partnerships.”