Novartis and Servier sign deal for depression drug

Novartis and Servier have signed a licensing agreement for agomelatine, a phase III major depressive disorder treatment drug.

The agreement will see Novartis have exclusive rights to develop the product in the US and several other countries, while Servier adopts the same rights throughout the rest of the world.

James Shannon, head of development at Novartis, commented: “This collaboration shows our commitment to invest in promising and innovative compounds like agomelatine to further strengthen our portfolio.

“With the initiation of a clinical development program for agomelatine in the US, Novartis will be able to build on its leadership position in neurology and potentially become a key player in the field of psychiatric disorders such as depression.”

The once-daily drug acts as an agonist at MT1 and MT2 receptors with additional 5-HT2c antagonist properties and is a novel melatonergic antidepressant.

In the region of ten per cent of adults are believed to suffer from a depressive illness in the US in any given year.

© Adfero Ltd