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Addex Achieves First Milestone in Parkinson's Disease Collaboration with Merck & Co., Inc.
Collaboration Targets a Non-Dopaminergic Approach to Treating Parkinson's Disease

27 Feb 2008 - Addex Pharmaceuticals announced that the first preclinical milestone has been achieved in a recently announced exclusive collaboration and license agreement with Merck & Co., Inc. (through its affiliate Merck Sharp & Dohme Research Ltd). The collaboration is focused on developing an emerging class of oral drugs, allosteric modulators, that target the metabotropic glutamate receptor 4 (mGluR4) for Parkinson's disease and other undisclosed indications.
 
Addex will receive $250,000 for achieving the first preclinical milestone. Under the terms of the agreement, first announced in December 2007, Addex received $3 million upfront and is eligible for up to $106.5 million in research, development and regulatory milestones for the first product developed for multiple indications. Additional milestones of up to $61 million would be payable if a second and third product is developed. Addex is eligible to receive undisclosed royalties on sales of any products resulting from this collaboration. Merck is responsible for clinical development.
 
Published research shows that mGluR4 activators, like those in development at Addex, could work via two distinct mechanisms to alleviate symptoms of Parkinson's disease and, potentially, even slow the progression of the disease: 1) mGluR4 activation triggers a compensatory mechanism that may spare or potentiate the use of dopamine receptor activators; 2) mGluR4 activation may have a neuroprotective effect that helps to preserve the brain's dopaminergic neurons.