GENEVA, January 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Merck Serono, a
division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, today announced that an exclusive
development and licensing agreement with Domain Therapeutics,
Strasbourg, France, was signed to
develop metabotropic glutamate receptor 4 (mGluR4) Positive
Allosteric Modulator (PAM) drugs targeting Parkinson's disease and
other neurodegenerative diseases.
Domain Therapeutics will contribute optimized compounds that
have been developed from their proprietary chemical series. Under
the terms of the agreement, the company will receive EUR 2 million in upfront payment and research
funding, and is eligible for up to EUR 132
million in milestones for the first two products, as well as
undisclosed royalties.
"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 Research and
Development at Merck Serono. "This partnership with Domain
Therapeutics reflects our long-term commitment to develop new
treatments for neurodegenerative diseases."
"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, CEO, 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."
mGluR4 is a glutamate receptor, 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.
About Domain Therapeutics S.A.
Domain Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company located in
Strasbourg, France, dedicated to
the discovery and early development of small molecules targeting
G-coupled Protein Receptors (GPCRs), one of the most important
classes of drug targets. Domain Therapeutics discovers 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 optimized leads for leading
indications such as schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease, and
diabetes.
mGluR4 PAMs of Domain Therapeutics were discovered in the course
of the ARAMIS project, in association with Prestwick Chemical Inc
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.
For more information, please visit
http://www.domaintherapeutics.com
About Merck Serono
Merck Serono is the biopharmaceutical division of Merck KGaA,
Darmstadt, Germany, a global
pharmaceutical and chemical company. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, Merck Serono discovers,
develops, manufactures and markets prescription medicines of both
chemical and biological origin in specialist indications. In
the United States and Canada, EMD Serono operates as a separately
incorporated affiliate of Merck Serono.
Merck Serono has leading brands serving patients with cancer
(Erbitux(R), cetuximab), multiple sclerosis (Rebif(R), interferon
beta-1a), infertility (Gonal-f(R), follitropin alfa), endocrine and
metabolic disorders (Saizen(R) and Serostim(R), somatropin),
(Kuvan(R), sapropterin dihydrochloride) as well as cardiometabolic
diseases (Glucophage(R), metformin), (Concor(R), bisoprolol),
(Euthyrox(R), levothyroxine). Not all products are available in all
markets.
With an annual R&D expenditure of over EUR 1bn, Merck Serono is committed to growing its
business in specialist-focused therapeutic areas including
neurodegenerative diseases, oncology, fertility and endocrinology,
as well as new areas potentially arising out of research and
development in rheumatology.
About Merck
Merck is a global pharmaceutical and chemical company with total
revenues of EUR 7.7 billion in 2009,
a history that began in 1668, and a future shaped by approximately
40,000 (including Merck Millipore) employees in 64 countries. Its
success is characterized by innovations from entrepreneurial
employees. Merck's operating activities come under the umbrella of
Merck KGaA, in which the Merck family holds an approximately 70%
interest and free shareholders own the remaining approximately 30%.
In 1917 the U.S. subsidiary Merck & Co. was expropriated and
has been an independent company ever since.
For more information, please visit http://www.merckserono.com or
http://www.merck.de