PsychoGenics Inc, a leader in invivo phenotypic drug discovery, and Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.,a research-based pharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering, developing and commercializing scientifically advanced therapeutic products,  have expanded the scope of their CNS drug discovery partnership and extended the agreement for another two years. The expanded agreement builds on the success of the partnership that has given rise to several CNS discovery programmes.

Sunovion and PsychoGenics will continue to advance existing discovery programs, as well as, screen new diverse compound libraries in vivo using PsychoGenics’ proprietary SmartCube system and broad preclinical capabilities, with the aim of identifying new therapies for CNS disorders.

“The phenotypic approach to drug discovery has historically yielded many of the most important CNS drugs,” said Tom Large, senior vice president of Discovery Research at Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. “The PsychoGenics and Sunovion team has rapidly and efficiently utilized the rich behavioral data of SmartCube to drive chemistry optimization efforts. This has yielded a drug-like molecule with novel pharmacology.”

“We are delighted to expand our shared-risk partnership with Sunovion which has already delivered a clinical candidate. We have enjoyed an excellent working relationship with the talented Sunovion discovery team and look forward to advancing existing discovery programmes and pursuing new research programmes together,” remarked Emer Leahy, Ph.D., PsychoGenics’ president & chief executive officer.

PsychoGenics’ technologies, which include its SmartCube system, combine broad in vivo  behavioral expertise with developments in robotics, computer vision, and bioinformatics to phenotypically evaluate drug candidates for potential utility across the spectrum of 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 with novel mechanisms of action.

PsychoGenics is a leader in invivo phenotypic drug discovery. The company applies its proprietary technology platforms in partnership with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to discover the next generation of drugs for neuropsychiatric disorders.