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ACADIA Pharmaceuticals and Vanderbilt University Announce Exclusive License Agreement and Research Collaboration
- ACADIA acquires exclusive worldwide rights to a novel therapeutic program targeting muscarinic M1 receptors SAN DIEGO & NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
About this update from Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"\n- ACADIA acquires exclusive worldwide rights to a novel therapeutic program targeting muscarinic M1 receptors \n\n SAN DIEGO & NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--\nACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: ACAD) and Vanderbilt University today announced an exclusive worldwide license agreement to develop and commercialize novel drug candidates targeting the muscarinic M1 receptor with the potential to treat a range of central nervous system (CNS) disorders. The collaboration will focus on positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of the M1 receptor.\n\n\n\"ACADIA’s collaboration with Vanderbilt University and its Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery (WCNDD), a leading academic center focused on discovering new drug candidates, complements our innovative late-stage pipeline,\" said Steve Davis, ACADIA’s Chief Executive Officer. “While the study of muscarinic modulators has been an area of high interest in the treatment of CNS disorders, it has proved difficult to separate efficacy from unwanted effects. WCNDD’s approach represents a compelling opportunity for ACADIA to advance new potential therapies to treat disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia.”\n\n\n“We are thrilled to be collaborating with ACADIA to further develop these novel compounds harnessing muscarinic receptors,” said P. Jeffrey Conn, Ph.D., WCNDD director. “With ACADIA’s proven development and commercialization capabilities in neuropsychiatric disorders, in combination with WCNDD’s discovery expertise, we hope to develop differentiated treatment modalities that could address cognition and other neuropsychiatric symptoms that represent some of the largest unmet needs in CNS disorders today.”\n\n\nThe WCNDD has been developing highly selective PAMs of the M1 subtype of muscarinic acetylcholine receptor, which may represent a novel approach for improving cognitive function and other neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients suffering from CNS disorders. The agreement includes a lead compound currently in Phase 1 testing, as well as compounds currently in preclinical development and compounds generated in an ongoing discovery program. Under the terms of the License and Collaboration Agreement, Vanderbilt University will receive $10 million upfront and is eligible for potential milestone payments of up to $515 million and tiered royalties.\n\n\nAbout ACADI...