• Boehringer Ingelheim Enhances Central Nervous System Disease Pipeline
• Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery Advances
Preclinical Schizophrenia Targets
NASHVILLE, Tenn. & INGELHEIM, Germany-Thursday 3 January 2019 [ AETOS Wire ]
http://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/press-release/collaboration-vanderbilt-university
(BUSINESS WIRE) --
Boehringer Ingelheim and Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug
Discovery (VCNDD) today announced two new global agreements to
investigate, develop and commercialize novel small molecules targeting
two distinct G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) known to engage in the
modulation of certain brain circuitries, which are altered in
neuropsychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia.
“By
joining forces with Vanderbilt University, one of the world’s leading
groups integrating basic neuroscience and new translational approaches
in neuropsychiatric conditions, Boehringer Ingelheim will strengthen and
expand efforts to bring new treatments to patients,” said Bernd Sommer,
Ph.D., Global Head CNS Disease Research, Boehringer Ingelheim. “Our
colleagues in VCNDD share our strategic vision for drug discovery to
regulate maladaptive brain circuitry as the key to alleviate symptoms in
neuropsychiatric conditions and bring relief to patients suffering from
these debilitating disorders.”
Maladaptive
brain circuits are the neurobiological basis of major symptoms in many
mental disorders. These symptoms may include memory, concentration and
decision-making difficulties as well as social withdrawal, lack of
motivation or inability to experience pleasure. Because GPCRs have
specific roles in the regulation and modulation of brain circuit
functions, these proteins are promising targets for drugs designed to
relieve such symptoms. VCNDD has pioneered GPCRs research, yielding a
better understanding of their roles in brain modulation.
“We
are delighted to partner with Boehringer Ingelheim in developing new
treatments for schizophrenia and other major psychiatric disorders,”
said P. Jeffrey Conn, VCNDD director. “Boehringer Ingelheim is an
industry leader that shares our passion for advancing new therapeutic
strategies that could dramatically improve the standard of care for
individuals suffering from major mental illness. Through this
partnership, we are able to pursue new approaches for correcting
deficits in brain circuits that may allow treatment of debilitating
symptoms that are not responsive to available medicines.”
Craig
W. Lindsley, VCNDD’s director of medicinal chemistry, echoed enthusiasm
for the partnership. “The programs partnered with Boehringer Ingelheim
represent the culmination of years of basic and translational science
within our center and highlight the key role academic drug discovery
centers can have on the future of human mental health,” he said.
These
new industry-academic collaborations may be the first to focus on the
two GPCR targets with a goal to address the unmet medical needs for
treatments of cognitive and negative symptoms associated with
schizophrenia. The partnership also will enhance the educational goals
of VCNDD to train doctoral students and post-doctoral fellows and
develop new tools to advance neuroscience knowledge. Further details of
the agreement are not disclosed. The present agreements to identify
novel therapies for the treatment of neurological conditions are the
fifth and sixth agreements between Boehringer Ingelheim and Vanderbilt
University, adding to previous agreements focused on the identification
of novel therapies for cancer.
About Neuropsychiatric Disorders
Brain
or neurological conditions that cause psychiatric symptoms are referred
to as neuropsychiatric disorders. The World Health Organization (WHO)
reports that neuropsychiatric disorders are the third leading cause of
years lived with disability (DALY).1 Moreover, these
disorders include mental and behavioral conditions such as depression,
anxiety, drug- and alcohol-use disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar
disorder and other illnesses2 that together account for 7.4 percent of total global DALYs.3
Please click on the link for ‘Notes to Editors’ and ‘References’:http://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/press-release/collaboration-vanderbilt-university
Contacts
Media:
Boehringer Ingelheim
Linda Ruckel
Linda.ruckel@boehringer-ingelheim.com
917-692-0848
Vanderbilt University
Heidi Hall
Heidi.Hall@Vanderbilt.edu
615-689-8419
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