University College London (UCL) and Takeda Pharmaceutical have formed a new research collaboration to identify and validate novel target genes for the treatment of neurodegenerative disease.

The collaboration will focus on mechanistic approaches for the identification of genes or signaling pathways that modify neurodegenerative disease processes affecting neuronal health (for example motor neurone disease, Huntington’s disease and Parkinson’s disease).

The collaboration, which includes support from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Center, will initially run for a three-year period. It will be carried out by Takeda Cambridge, Takeda’s research unit in Cambridge, U.K. It is one of the largest U.K.-based university partnerships formed by Takeda.