PsychoGenics Inc., a leader in in vivo phenotypic drug discovery, has reported that the company achieved a milestone in its drug discovery and development collaboration with Roche.
PsychoGenics and Roche entered into a drug discovery and development agreement in May, 2008 to combine their complementary strengths and expertise to identify a new generation of treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders. PsychoGenics evaluated a library of Roche compounds, using its proprietary in vivo drug discovery technologies, leading to the discovery of a new drug candidate with the potential for a novel mode of action. Roche has decided to exercise its option to develop this drug candidate, thereby triggering a milestone payment to PsychoGenics.
PsychoGenics’ technologies combine broad in vivo behavioural expertise with recent developments in robotics, computer vision, and bioinformatics to evaluate drug candidates for potential utility across the spectrum of Central Nervous System (CNS) disease indications. Working in partnership with pharmaceutical and biotech companies, PsychoGenics has been instrumental in identifying therapeutic potential for discontinued compounds as well as early stage compounds including some with novel “first-inclass” mechanisms of action.
“We are pleased to have achieved this milestone which is further validation of PsychoGenics’ phenotypic approach to CNS drug discovery. We have enjoyed an excellent working relationship with the talented Roche discovery team and look forward to supporting the development of this exciting program as well as other research programmes.” remarked Emer Leahy, Ph.D., PsychoGenics’ president & chief executive officer.