Vernalis plc and Biogen Idec have entered into an agreement to advance research into Vernalis' adenosine A2A receptor antagonist programme, which targets Parkinson's disease and other central nervous system disorders, a company release said.

Under the agreement, Biogen Idec receives exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialize Vernalis' lead compound, V2006, which recently completed an initial phase I clinical study in healthy volunteers. In addition, Biogen Idec has the right to develop one back-up compound to V2006 and receives option rights over Vernalis' A2A antagonist research programme.

Initially, the collaboration will focus on completing the phase I programme for V2006, with the goal to begin phase II proof of concept studies of V2006 in Parkinson's disease patients in 2005.

Biogen Idec will pay Vernalis an initial license fee of $10 million, a series of further payments if programme milestones are met, and royalties on commercial sales of collaboration products. Biogen Idec will make an immediate investment of $6 million through subscription for 6,218,487 new Vernalis ordinary shares, representing 4.19 per cent of Vernalis' enlarged issued share capital, at a price of 53 pence per share and has committed to purchase an additional $4 million in the event of a future Vernalis financing. Excluding royalties, total potential payments to Vernalis could exceed $100 million. Biogen Idec will fund future development under the collaboration, and Vernalis will retain an option to co-promote collaboration products in the United States.

"This is an important programme for Vernalis, and we are delighted to have attracted a partner of Biogen Idec's calibre to help us take it forward," said Simon Sturge, chief executive officer, Vernalis. "Parkinson's disease can be a very difficult and debilitating condition. Today's announcement is a valuable endorsement of our A2A programme, and fulfils our promise to announce a strong product collaboration in the second quarter," he asserts.

James Mullen, president and CEO of Biogen Idec, added, "We look forward to applying the expertise we have developed with our neurology franchise to V2006, a promising product that will bolster our growing small molecule portfolio. In addition, this partnership brings us one step closer to our corporate goal to in-license 50 per cent of our pipeline by 2010."

Most conventional treatments for Parkinson's disease are based on the replacement or enhancement of dopamine in the brain. These treatments are generally effective in the short term, but efficacy tends to diminish over time and the emergence of side effects increases the level of disability. Vernalis' adenosine A2A receptor antagonist programme is designed to restore the imbalance of neurotransmitters caused by the loss of dopamine, the release says.