Janssen, Evotec join forces to develop NMDA antagonist portfolio

Under the agreement, Janssen has received an exclusive global license to a series of small molecule drug candidates as well as exclusive rights to further develop the compounds and market the resulting products.

The license agreement grants Evotec $2m upfront payment, $6m additional payment to be paid upon confirmation of certain pre-clinical properties of the candidates as well as $67m additional milestone payments from Janssen upon the completion of certain clinical, regulatory and launch events for the first product.

Evotec will also receive an additional, reduced milestone payments upon completion of certain events for additional indications or compounds and is also entitled to receive an additional $100m commercial milestones payments on meeting certain sales thresholds and royalties.

F.Hoffmann-La Roche, which originally discovered the molecules, will share the $100m commercial milestones payments received by Evotec.

Evotec chief operating officer Mario Polywka said, ”The now sealed collaboration with Janssen reflects not only the value attributable to our past development efforts but, more importantly, also enhances the hopes of many patients to gain access to a first-in-class relief of their suffering.”

NMDA receptors play an important role in certain pathological disease states such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, neuropathic pain and epilepsy.