UCB and Lieber Institute announce collaboration

UCB Pharmaceuticals and the Lieber Institute for Brain Development (LIBD) are to form a collaborative partnership that will see the two companies work together to discover new potential drugs to treat patients with brain disorders.

An "open innovation" approach will be adopted by the two companies and UCB believes that the expertise and knowledge provided by LIBD will complement the company's own internal skills and abilities. 

Chemical compounds will be provided by both partners in the alliance, with UCB highlighting the fact that LIBD has unique structures that will help turn initial research and drug discoveries into effective proof of concepts for clinical analysis. 

Ismail Kola, executive vice-president at UCB, said: "This new partnership combines UCB's world-class central nervous system research teams with the LIBD's unique understanding of basic genetic and molecular mechanisms of developmental brain disorders."

Dr Kola added that the two companies will be working together with the aim of transforming the lives of those suffering from severe cognitive impairment.