Biogen to acquire novel clinical-stage asset from Pfizer
PF-05251749 complements the company’s pipeline of potential disease-modifying therapies for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
Biogen has agreed to acquire from Pfizer PF-05251749, a novel CNS-penetrant small molecule inhibitor of casein kinase 1 (CK1), for the potential treatment of patients with behavioral and neurological symptoms across various psychiatric and neurological diseases.
In particular, Biogen plans to develop the Phase I asset for the treatment of Sundowning in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Irregular Sleep Wake Rhythm Disorder (ISWRD) in Parkinson’s disease (PD). The purchase will include an upfront payment of $75 million with up to $635 million in potential additional development and commercialization milestone payments, as well as tiered royalties in the high single digits to sub-teens.
“This asset is highly complementary to our existing pipeline of potential disease-modifying therapies in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases,” said Alfred Sandrock Jr., Executive Vice President, Research and Development and Chief Medical Officer at Biogen. “Many patients with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s suffer from debilitating sleep disorders and agitation, and we believe that the regulation of the circadian rhythm may hold promise in addressing these challenging behavioral and neurological symptoms.”
CK1 is a key regulator of the ‘central clock,’ the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus, that controls circadian rhythm and impacts nearly all vital physiology and metabolism. The disruption of circadian rhythm is associated with various psychiatric and neurological diseases, including certain important symptoms of AD and PD.
Sundowning is a symptom that impacts 20% or more of AD patients who become confused, anxious, aggressive, agitated or restless later in the day. ISWRD is a circadian rhythm disorder where patients experience fragmented nighttime sleep leading to daytime sleepiness, severe fatigue and difficulty with activities of daily living.
It is one of the non-motor symptoms of PD, and usually increases in frequency over the course of the disease and disability progression. Biogen will explore the potential of PF-05251749 to improve behavioral disturbances of Sundowning in AD by correcting circadian rhythm, as well as its potential to treat symptoms of ISWRD to improve daytime wakefulness, sleep quality, behavior and daily function.
PF-05251749 has previously demonstrated an acceptable safety profile and proof of mechanism in a Phase Ia clinical study. Biogen aims to initiate a Phase Ib study in Q4 2020.
Related News
-
News Eli Lilly gets ready to launch five new drugs in 2023
Eli Lilly, the American pharmaceutical company (IN, USA) are gearing up for a big year ahead, with hopes to launch five new drugs and capitalise on growing obesity and Alzheimer’s disease markets. -
News Amgen buys Horizon for $27.8 billion in bold step into the rare disease market
Amgen Inc buys pharmaceutical company Horizon Therapeutics in a multibillion-dollar deal, in hopes to capitalise on it's portfolio of drugs in the highly sort after rare disease market. -
News Pharma Supply Chain People Moves
The latest appointments and promotions across the pharmaceutical supply chain. -
News Merck to donate new Ebola vaccine to defend against outbreaks in Uganda
Pharmaceutical giant Merck has announced they will be speeding up the processing of a new vaccine against the latest strain of the Ebola virus, to be donated to a global non-profit organisation for distribution -
News CPHI Podcast Series: Driving innovation with pharmaceutical startups
The latest episode in the CPHI Podcast Series explores how startups are driving innovation by taking high-risk approaches and doing business with greater agility. -
News Greener and efficient processes: Quaternary Ammonium Salts
Quaternary Ammonium Salts play a crucial part in Organic Chemistry processes at many major industries. Discover why.
-
News Biosimilars save patients $11B annually, but barriers to adoption remain in US market
Biosimilars introduce competition into the biologics market, driving down prices and increasing patient access. -
News WHO recommends use of two monoclonal antibody treatments against Ebola
The health body recommended use of treatments by Regeneron and Ridgeback Bio
Position your company at the heart of the global Pharma industry with a CPHI Online membership
-
Your products and solutions visible to thousands of visitors within the largest Pharma marketplace
-
Generate high-quality, engaged leads for your business, all year round
-
Promote your business as the industry’s thought-leader by hosting your reports, brochures and videos within your profile
-
Your company’s profile boosted at all participating CPHI events
-
An easy-to-use platform with a detailed dashboard showing your leads and performance