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news.Pharmaceutical development firm Sention has entered into an exclusive licensing and research collaboration agreement with Merck & Co to develop potential treatments for fragile X mental retardation.
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Sention will develop a family of Merck compounds known as mGluR5 antagonists as potential treatments for fragile X, the most commonly inherited form of mental retardation.
The agreement provides Sention with access to preclinical drug candidates discovered by Merck, the development of which Sention is pursuing at its own expense with the intention of moving a candidate into clinical trials. The agreement also allows Sention to develop the drug for Down’s syndrome and includes an option to develop the drug for Huntington’s disease.
“This collaboration with one of the world’s premier pharmaceutical companies represents a significant milestone for Sention,” commented Dr Randall Carpenter, president and CEO of Sention. “We hope to advance an mGluR5 antagonist into clinical development for fragile X, a syndrome that currently has no therapeutic options.”