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news.Drug discovery and development firm BrainCells has in-licensed a clinical-stage compound from Mitsubishi Pharma that will be developed for new indications in the treatment of central nervous system diseases, including mood disorders.
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Mitsubishi Pharma extensively developed the compound, named BCI-540, for another central nervous system (CNS) indication, but suspended the program when the drug met safety expectations but did not reach its defined efficacy endpoints.
San Diego-based BrainCells applied its proprietary technology in the area of neurogenesis – the process by which endogenous stem cells in the adult human brain produce new brain tissue, including neurons – to identify different indications for the drug.
“This is indicative of the extensive opportunity that exists for us in the CNS drug development space,” said James Schoeneck, BrainCells’ CEO. “We can screen compounds efficiently for neurogenic properties and pursue the development of these compounds for indications that weren’t part of a licensor’s original plans.”
BrainCells said that it expects to begin development and initiate additional phase II clinical trials of BCI-540 next year.