Heptares Therapeutics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sosei Group, has been notified by its partner Teva that a preclinical candidate calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) antagonist has been nominated for advancement into further preclinical studies as an investigational treatment for migraine.
Nomination of this small-molecule candidate, discovered by Heptares using its structure-based design approach in partnership with Teva, has triggered a $5 million payment from Teva to Heptares under the terms of their licensing and drug-discovery agreement signed in 2015. The nominated compound emerged from a rigorous Teva candidate selection process and has a highly differentiated profile from other investigational small-molecule CGRP antagonists, representing the first milestone in a partnership to generate novel candidates for the treatment of episodic and chronic migraine.
"Teva is looking to build a sustainable leadership position in the treatment of migraine and headache," Ralph Laufer, Teva R&D's Head of Discovery and Product Development unit said. "This candidate has very interesting properties. While we still have a long way to go, we do see some characteristics in this molecule that could set it apart within the class, and look forward to continuing its development."