Merck Serono returns Parkinson’s drug rights to Newron
pharmafile | October 24, 2011 | News story | Research and Development, Sales and Marketing | Merck Serono, Newron
Merck Serono has returned the rights to the Parkinson’s disease drug safinamide back to Newron.
The decision comes after the German firm said that safinamide had “a more limited market potential than originally anticipated,” but added that the decision was not due to any new efficacy or safety concerns.
Based on the agreement signed between the two firms in 2006, Merck Serono has said it will continue a clinical development programme for safinamide until April 2012, at which time it will be given back to Newron.
Merck’s decision to write off the drug will result in around 40 million euro of additional costs for the firm that will be realised in the fourth quarter.
Newron, which has recently been acquired by Finnish CNS specialist Biotie, said it will now “re-assess all the opportunities for safinamide including re-partnering the compound at some stage”.
The firm added that the collaboration with Merck on its two other investigational drugs: sarizotan for Parkinson’s disease and pruvanserin for insomnia would continue.
Safinamide is an alpha-aminoamide that is currently being developed as an add-on therapy to dopamine agonists or levodopa in patients with early or late-stage Parkinson’s disease.
It is believed to have both dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic activities, including selective and reversible inhibition of monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B), activity-dependent sodium channel antagonism and inhibition of glutamate release in vitro.
There are currently few treatments for Parkinson’s disease and any break through drug could be highly lucrative, as it remains an unmet medical need.
Ben Adams
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