Sanofi-aventis : exclusive global licensing agreement with The Rockefeller University

December 3, 2009 - Development of a monoclonal antibody for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease - Sanofi-aventis (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY) announced an exclusive global licensing agreement with The Rockefeller University (New York, NY) concerning a novel monoclonal antibody, targeting certain specific forms of the Amyloid Beta parenchymal plaque for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

The anti-Amyloid Beta (ABeta) antibody therapy is a highly attractive approach to prevent and reverse the amyloid plaque formation which may lead to cognitive improvement in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. This antibody is planned to enter development at the end of 2009.

“It’s a great pleasure to interact with The Rockefeller University and in particular with Dr. Jeffrey Ravetch, a worldwide expert in the engineering of mAb Fc region and effector functions”... Sanofi-aventis' Press Release -

Idera Pharmaceuticals and Merck & Co., Inc. : Extend Research Collaboration for Agonists of Toll-like Receptors as Vaccine Adjuvants

Nov. 25, 2009-- Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: IDRA) announced that Merck & Co., Inc., through an affiliate, has extended its research collaboration with Idera for a fourth year. In December 2006, the companies entered into an exclusive license and research collaboration agreement to research, develop, and commercialize vaccine products containing the Company’s investigational agonist compounds targeting Toll-like Receptors (TLRs) 7, 8, and 9 in the fields of oncology, infectious diseases, and Alzheimer’s disease. As part of the agreement, the two companies engaged in a two-year research and development collaboration to generate novel agonists targeting TLR7 and TLR8 and incorporating both Merck and Idera chemistry for use in vaccines in the licensed fields, with Merck having the right to extend the collaboration for two additional one-year periods.


“During the first three years of our agreement, scientists at Idera and Merck have created a large portfolio of novel agonists of TLRs 7, 8, and 9 using Idera’s chemistry-based approach together with Merck’s innovations in chemistry and adjuvant formulation,”... Idera Pharmaceuticals' Press Release -

Metabolic Solutions Development Company To Test Potential Treatment For Alzheimer’s

Oct. 12, 2009 – Metabolic Solutions Development Company (MSDC) announced that it has received a $100,000 grant from the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) to support the evaluation of PPAR-sparing insulin sensitizers as a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.
ADDF funding will support a collaboration between Dr. Douglas Feinstein (Jesse Brown VA Medical Center and University of Illinois at Chicago) and MSDC. Feinstein’s research focuses on neurodegenerative diseases while MSDC is developing novel treatments for type 2 diabetes and related metabolic diseases.
“Initial findings in our ongoing research suggest that some insulin sensitizers, including MSDC’s lead compound MSDC-0160, currently in Phase II studies for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, might slow down the buildup of plaques in the brains of mice,”... [PDF] Metabolic Solutions Development Company's -

Antigenics : Expansion of its QS-21 License Agreement

September 21, 2009 — Antigenics Inc. (NASDAQ: AGEN) announced that the company has signed an amended and restated license agreement for the use of the QS-21 adjuvant in a vaccine under development by JANSSEN Alzheimer Immunotherapy, a company which has acquired substantially all of the assets and rights of Elan related to its Alzheimer's Immunotherapy Program (AIP).


“Alzheimer's disease is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States, and the incidence of this disease is expected to rise globally.” said Garo H. Armen, PhD, chairman and CEO of Antigenics. “Today's announcement underscores the importance of QS-21, which is being tested in multiple indications by our licensees, including four Phase 3 programs in lung cancer, malaria, melanoma and an undisclosed infectious disease. QS-21 is enabling a new generation of vaccines to be developed and is expected to become a significant contributor to Antigenics' future royalty income, with the first vaccine potentially on the market by 2011.”... Antigenics' Press Release -

INVENT Pharma : American Diversified Holdings Biotech Alliance Partner INVENT Pharmaceuticals Granted US Provisional Patent for Alzheimer's Drug

Sep 15 2009 - American Diversified Holdings Corporation (ADHC) Strategic Alliance partner INVENT Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted its provisional patent application US 61/271,720 on novel drug candidates for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and age-related cognitive and memory impairment. Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder affecting nearly 37 million people worldwide. The estimated overall annual cost of patient care in the US alone is over $100 billion with over $5 billion in pharmaceutical costs. More than half of the individuals over age 85 and one in ten over age 65 will suffer from Alzheimer’s disease and related cognition and memory dysfunction. Alzheimer’s disease is the gradual loss of cognitive function related to memory, reasoning, judgment and orientation... American Diversified Holdings Corporation's Press Release -

QR Pharma : Clinical Trial for Cognitively Impaired Patients

February 10, 2010: QR Pharma, Inc. (QR), a developer of novel drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD), announced that it began a clinical trial of its lead compound, Posiphen®, in early stage AD patients.

Posiphen®, a small orally active compound, has been shown in cell cultures of normal mice, AD transgenic mice and Down Syndrome (DS) mice to reduce the synthesis of amyloid-b precursor protein (APP) which is cleaved into a number of toxic peptides. These peptides include amyloid-b42 (Ab42), that attacks multiple pathways of neuronal cell life, inducing dysfunction, neuronal cell death and neuroinflammation, and leading to cognitive impairment and neurodegeneration.

The trial will measure in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood plasma of amnestic mild cognitively impaired (MCI) patients the biochemical changes that are associated with AD and correlate them with the pharmacokinetics of the drug and its metabolites.

Recent reports suggest high endogenous variability of Aß peptides between subjects. Therefore, the company decided to use subjects as their own controls. Amnestic MCI patients will receive Posiphen® at 240 mg/ day for 10 days (4x60 mg was found in a multiple dose safety study to be well tolerated in elderly healthy volunteers). Serial CSF samples will be collected via indwelling lumbar catheter for 12 hours one day before the start of dosing and after the last dose. Plasma samples will be taken at the same sampling times. CSF and plasma/serum samples will be analyzed for Posiphen®, metabolites and soluble a and ßAPP, Aß 40/42 and other AD associated markers... QR Pharma's Press Release -

Daiichi Sankyo : Approval Application in Japan for Manufacturing and Marketing of SUN Y7017 (Memantine) for the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Type Dementia

February 8, 2010 – Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited, announced that its subsidiary, ASUBIO PHARMA CO., LTD. , submitted a New Drug Application in Japan for the manufacturing and marketing of SUN Y7017 (generic name: Memantine hydrocholoride), which was developed for the treatment of Alzheimer’s type Dementia (AD).SUN Y7017 is an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist developed by Merz Pharmaceuticals GmbH... [PDF] Daiichi Sankyo's Press Release -

KineMed Broadens Collaboration with Bristol-Myers Squibb

February 8, 2010 - KineMed, Inc. a translational and personalized medicine development company, announced a broadening of its collaboration with Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) in the area of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. This agreement builds on the original collaboration between the two companies begun in June 2009.

“We are very pleased to be working with Bristol Myers Squibb to enable the development of their drugs intended to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease by novel mechanisms. KineMed is excited by the possibility that our novel measures of brain function could play a crucial role in advancing such potentially beneficial new medicines... KineMed's Press Release -

Lupin : US FDA tentative approval for Memantine HCl tablets

January 20, 2010 - Pharma major, Lupin Ltd announced that its U.S subsidiary, Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (LPI) has received the tentative approval for the Company’s Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for its Memantine Hydrochloride tablets, 5mg and 10mg from the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA).

Lupin’s Memantine HCl tablets are AB-rated to Namenda® tablets indicated for the treatment of moderate to severe dementia of the Alzheimer’s type. Namenda had annual sales of approximately $1.1 billion for the twelve months ended September 2009, based on IMS Health sales data... Lupin's Press Release -

DiaGenic and Ferrer inCode : distribution agreement for breakthrough ADtect® early Alzheimer’s test in Western Europe and Latin America

January 20, 2010 – DiaGenic ASA (OSL:DIAG) and Ferrer inCode announced that they have signed a distribution agreement for the blood-based ADtect® test for early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease covering a total of 32 countries. The agreement gives Ferrer inCode, a biotech subsidiary of Grupo Ferrer Internacional, the exclusive right to sell and market ADtect® initially in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxemburg, France, Italy, Spain and Portugal followed by Latin America.


The agreement is an important add-on to our distribution agreements for Europe. Ferrer is a strong player within the CNS field and has a large sales force in the major markets in Europe and Latin America with competence within both pharma and molecular diagnosis”... DiaGenic's Press Release -

Wockhardt : US FDA approval for Alzheimer’s drug Memantine

06 Jan,2010 - Pharmaceutical and biotechnology major Wockhardt has received tentative approval from the United States Food & Drug Administration (US FDA) for marketing the 5mg and 10mg tablets of Memantine HCl, which is used for treatment of moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Memantine is the generic name for the brand Namenda, marketed in the United States by Forrest Laboratories. The patent covering this product is under litigation in the US courts. Wockhardt and Forrest Laboratories have reached a settlement on their patent litigation, which will allow Wockhardt to launch its generic version several months ahead of patent expiration or as soon as any other generic version is launched. According to IMS, the total market for Memantine tablets in the US is about $1.1 billion and is the first in a novel class of Alzheimer’s drugs that block NMDA glutamate receptors... Wockhardt's Press Release -