« Return to News | R&D Trends

Evotec partners with Roche in $820 million Alzheimer’s deal

Tuesday, September 6, 2011 01:10 PM

Evotec has signed a new agreement with partner Roche to develop a compound with potential in Alzheimer's disease, replacing an antidepressant program which was dropped in May, according to PharmaTimes.

The German biotechnology company said it will receive $10 million in upfront licensing fees as a result of Roche's decision to collaborate on the development of the new compound, a monoamine oxidase type B inhibitor codenamed EVT-302.

The agreement could also see Evotec receive development and milestone payments up to $820m and tiered double-digit royalties on sales should the drug candidate reach the market. Proof-of-concept clinical trials are scheduled to start next year.

Roche will fund the clinical development of EVT-302, as well as any manufacturing and commercialization costs. That is good news for Evotec, given that the antidepressant program dropped earlier this year had been the main element of its collaboration with Roche. That drug, called EVT-101, had advanced to phase II testing.

MAO-B inhibitors are thought to work in Alzheimer's disease by blocking the breakdown of neurotransmitters and interrupting the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) involved in the inflammation and degeneration of neurons which are the hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.

"For these reasons, the selective MAO-B inhibitor is targeted to treat AD symptoms and potentially slow disease progression," said Evotec in a statement.

Share:          
CLINICAL TRIAL RESOURCES

Search:

NEWS ONLINE ARCHIVE

Browse by:

CWWeekly

September 30

Novartis-Walgreens pilot study blurring the line between retail pharmacy, investigative site

CISCRP to launch traveling science museum exhibit to demystify clinical trial participation

Already a subscriber?
Log in to your digital subscription.

Subscribe to CWWeekly.

The CenterWatch Monthly

October

New growth and decline in Asia clinical trials
South Korea, Japan, China see big growth in 1572s, while India posts huge drop

Harnessing Big Data to transform clinical trials
From protocol to patient recruiting, data analytics can yield valuable insights

Already a subscriber?
Log in to your digital subscription.

Purchase the October issue.

Subscribe to
The CenterWatch Monthly.

The CenterWatch Monthly

September

Sponsors look to collaborate on comparator drugs
Co-therapies, comparators are in 60% of studies, cost $25m per company a year

Early adopters implement risk-based monitoring pilot programs
Experiments aim to offer long-term solutions, despite short-term uncertainties

Already a subscriber?
Log in to your digital subscription.

Purchase the September issue.

Subscribe to
The CenterWatch Monthly.

JobWatch centerwatch.com/jobwatch

Featured Jobs

More Jobs

 

Copyright © 1995-2013 CenterWatch.