Pharmaceutical Processing World

  • Home
  • Regulatory
    • Recalls
  • Pharmaceutical Processing
  • Facility
  • Supply Chain
  • Equipment and Materials
  • Contract Manufacturing
  • Advertise
  • SUBSCRIBE

Merck Serono and Domain Therapeutics to Develop Drugs for Parkinson’s Disease

By Pharmaceutical Processing | January 17, 2011

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.

 

Related Articles Read More >

This is a photo of the Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies plant under construction in Holly Springs, North Carolina.
Fujifilm, Regeneron ink $3B U.S. manufacturing agreement
This is the logo of Johnson & Johnson.
J&J breaks ground on $2B manufacturing facility in North Carolina
sherwin-williams-pharma-facility (1)
Sherwin-Williams expands flooring solutions for pharma facilities
PHARMAP 2025: Pharma leaders converge in Berlin for fifth anniversary summit
“ppw
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest news, technologies, and developments in Pharmaceutical Processing.

DeviceTalks Tuesdays

DeviceTalks Tuesdays

MEDTECH 100 INDEX

Medtech 100 logo
Market Summary > Current Price
The MedTech 100 is a financial index calculated using the BIG100 companies covered in Medical Design and Outsourcing.
Pharmaceutical Processing World
  • Subscribe to our E-Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • R&D World
  • Drug Delivery Business News
  • Drug Discovery & Development
  • DeviceTalks
  • MassDevice
  • Medical Design & Outsourcing
  • MEDICAL TUBING + EXTRUSION
  • Medical Design Sourcing
  • Medtech100 Index
  • R&D 100 Awards

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search Pharmaceutical Processing World

  • Home
  • Regulatory
    • Recalls
  • Pharmaceutical Processing
  • Facility
  • Supply Chain
  • Equipment and Materials
  • Contract Manufacturing
  • Advertise
  • SUBSCRIBE