GSK enters drug partnership with Epix Pharmaceuticals

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has announced that it has entered into a drug discovery and development partnership with Epix Pharmaceuticals that will be conducted through GSK’s Centre of Excellence for External Drug Discovery (CEEDD).

The alliance concerns the development of innovative pharmaceuticals targeting four G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), including the 5-HT4 partial agonist programme and a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease in early stage clinical development, PRX-03140.

Under the terms of the agreement, GSK will pay Epix $35 million (17.79 million pounds), half in cash and half in equity purchase. Epix will potentially be able to earn up to $1.2 billion with the achievement of discovery, development, regulatory and commercial milestones.

Maxine Gowen, senior vice president and head of CEEDD, said: “We are very excited to be working with the Epix team both on the existing 5HT4 programme in Alzheimer’s disease, a key disease area for GSK and on other GPCR programmes which will be initiated as part of this collaboration.”

She added that the partnership expressed the company’s dedication to the access of “leading-edge innovation”.

Last month, GSK expanded the remit of its strategic alliance with NeuroSearch to alter the distribution of work, risk and reward, to fully exploit that company’s ion channel platform and transform the equity structure between the companies.