Roche and Inception create multiple sclerosis-focused joint venture

Roche has announced an exclusive partnership with Inception Sciences and Versant Ventures to create a new joint venture focused on the creation of innovative multiple sclerosis drugs.

Inception 5 is a new company dedicated to the research and development of novel small molecule remyelinating therapies for sufferers of the central nervous system disorder.

The collaboration will focus on screening and developing novel small molecule therapies that promote remyelination of nerve sheaths damaged as a result of multiple sclerosis disease progression. Multiple molecular targets have already been identified.

Inception 5 will build on recent discoveries in the field and a proprietary remyelination screening platform developed by the University of California, San Francisco. Versant and Roche will provide support funding, with the latter retaining an exclusive option to acquire the new business.

Luca Santarelli, global head of neuroscience at Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, said: "With Inception 5, we look forward to further unraveling the biological basis of nerve myelination and target-repair mechanisms in multiple sclerosis."

This comes in the same week that Roche also announced an alliance with Ferring, which will focus on the creation of a new personalised infertility treatment.