Merck Serono and Domain to co-develop Parkinson’s drugs
pharmafile | January 18, 2011 | News story | Research and Development | Domain Therapeutics, Merck KGaA, Merck Serono, PAM, Parkinson's disease, Parkinson’s disease, Positive Allosteric Modulator, mGluR4, metabotropic glutamate receptor 4
Merck Serono is to work with French biotech company Domain Therapeutics to develop a new treatment for Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases.
The deal centres on a therapeutic class – metabotropic glutamate receptor 4 (mGluR4) Positive Allosteric Modulator (PAM) drugs, which could advance treatment in the therapy area.
Domain Therapeutics will contribute optimised compounds that have been developed from their proprietary chemical series. The deal will see the company receive €2 million in upfront payment and research funding, and it could be eligible for up to €132 million in milestones for the first two products, as well as undisclosed royalties.
The collaboration centres on DT1687, the most advanced drug in Domain’s pipeline, now at the lead optimisation stage.
The new alliance helps Merck Serono to expand its presence in specialist therapeutic areas, of which neurodegenerative diseases is one of its priority areas. Other priority areas for expansion include oncology, fertility and endocrinology, and new areas potentially arising in rheumatology.
“We are pleased to have the opportunity to work with Domain Therapeutics, which has developed great expertise in the G-Protein Coupled Receptor area,” said Bernhard Kirschbaum, executive vice president for global R&D at Merck Serono. “This partnership with Domain Therapeutics reflects our long-term commitment to develop new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.”
mGluR4 is a glutamate receptor, a member of the G-Protein Coupled Receptor (GPCR) family and is believed to be a potential therapeutic target for Parkinson’s disease. Allosteric modulation of mGluR4 receptors is thought to exert regulatory activity on glutamate-mediated neurotransmission.
Located in Strasbourg, Domain Therapeutics focuses on the discovery and early development of small molecules targeting G-coupled Protein Receptors (GPCRs), one of the most important classes of drug targets. This work includes research into allosteric modulators for GPCRs such as lipidic and peptidic receptors, which are difficult to address. The company’s pipeline is composed of new chemical entities, ranging from hits to optimised leads for leading indications such as schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease, and diabetes.
“This agreement is a validation of Domain Therapeutics’ business model of addressing difficult GPCRs and partnering compounds, with a significant deal, at an early stage of development,” said Pascal Neuville, chief executive of Domain Therapeutics. “Merck Serono is known to set very high standards for the compounds they are licensing and this deal is a demonstration of the quality of our work. We anticipate that this agreement will enable us to sign further deals of this kind.”
Domain Therapeutics’ mGluR4 PAMs were discovered in the course of the ARAMIS project, in association with Prestwick Chemical and two academic laboratories of Strasbourg University and supported by a grant of the French Government (DGCIS), Alsace Region and Strasbourg City area. ARAMIS was one of the first collaborative projects of Alsace BioValley competitiveness cluster.
Andrew McConaghie
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