Roche and PTC sign CNS research deal
pharmafile | September 4, 2009 | News story | Research and Development | CNS, Roche
PTC Therapeutics has signed an early-stage drug discovery deal with Roche that will focus on treatments for central nervous system diseases.
The agreement is for the development of orally administered small molecules that use PCT’s Gene Expression Modulation by Small-molecules (GEMS) technology.
The collaboration will focus initially on four central nervous system (CNS) disease targets to be jointly selected, and under the terms of the agreement Roche will make an upfront payment of $12 million to PCT, also funding its research.
Dr Christer Nordstedt, head CNS Discovery of Roche, said the company was pleased to join up with PTC Therapeutics, and that the smaller firm’s expertise in small molecules made it an attractive partner.
He added: “We believe that this novel and highly innovative technology will enable Roche to address important disease mechanisms that were intractable with conventional approaches. This may have profound impact on the treatment and management of several CNS disorders and therefore lead to great benefits for the patient.”
PTC focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of orally administered small-molecule drugs that target post-transcriptional control processes.
These processes regulate the rate and timing of the body’s protein production and are of central importance to proper cellular function.
The company says it has successfully used its GEMS technology in other drug discovery programs in oncology, infectious diseases, cardiovascular diseases and neuromuscular disorders.
PTC already has existing collaborations with Genzyme, Celgene, Pfizer, Gilead, Roche and Schering-Plough.
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