Otsuka and Galenea extend mutual schizophrenia research

Otsuka, along with its partner Galenea, has announced that their collaboration on scizophrenia research is to be extended until 2011.

This continuation increases the length of the partnership to a total of seven years and will bring the amount both firms have spent collectively to $90 million (54.26 million pounds).

Since January 2005, the firms have been working towards the development of first-in-class treatments for those suffering from schizophrenia and other central nervous system (CNS) conditions.

In October 2008, their agreement was extended by a further 12 months.

Taro Iwamoto, president and representative director of Otsuka Pharmaceutical, commented: “These innovative new therapies will add to our CNS portfolio, which includes our antipsychotic agent and other compounds in earlier phases of development.”

In August, Otsuka Pharmaceuticals received approval from the European Commission for its oral once-daily medication Samsca (tolvaptan) – a selective V2-vasopressin receptor antagonist.