Pfizer and Taisho sign schizophrenia deal

Pfizer and Japan's Taisho Pharmaceutical have teamed up in a research, develop and market deal for the latter firm's schizophrenia pre-clinical drug candidate TS-032.

Per the agreement, Taisho will grant exclusive development and marketing rights outside Japan for TS-032 to Pfizer for an initial payment of USD 22m. Taisho will receive development milestone payments, as well as royalties and milestone payments tied to sales, if regulatory authorities approve TS-032 and launched.

TS-032 is an experimental mGluR (metabotropic glutamate receptor) agonist, which is thought to be involved in the transmission of glutamate and other substances in the brain. Abnormalities in neurotransmission through mGluR may be one cause for symptoms related to schizophrenia, as well as other central nervous system disorders.

Pfizer's psychiatric portfolio already includes Zoloft, Xanax and Geodon.

Pfizer and Tacere to develop and commercialise RNAi hep C drug
In other news, Pfizer and Tacere Therapeutics, an RNA interference (RNAi)-based therapeutics developer, have entered into a collaboration and license agreement to develop and commercialise the latter firm's Hepatitis C virus (HCV) compound, TT-033. 

The collaboration will focus on completing all necessary studies for submission of an investigational new drug application (IND) of TT-033.

Per the agreement, Tacere and Pfizer will form a joint steering committee to oversee preclinical research and development efforts for TT-033. Pfizer will fund all aspects of the collaboration, including the preclinical development work and will have exclusive worldwide rights, excluding all Asian countries, to commercialise products that result from the collaboration.

During the initial phase of the collaboration, Pfizer will provide Tacere with funding in order to complete the necessary IND-enabling studies for TT-033.

Tacere will be eligible to receive milestone payments through successful achievement of development, approval, and commercialisation milestones resulting in total potential payments to Tacere of over USD 145m. If TT-033 is successfully commercialised, the company will receive royalties on net sales by Pfizer.