Targeting glutamate receptors
 

http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=825071
Feb 25, 2008 11:47 ET
Addex Achieves First Milestone in Parkinson's Disease Collaboration with Merck & Co., Inc.
Collaboration Targets a Non-Dopaminergic Approach to Treating Parkinson's Disease

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND--(Marketwire - February 25, 2008) - Allosteric modulation company Addex Pharmaceuticals (SWX: ADXN) announced today that the first preclinical milestone has been achieved in a recently announced exclusive collaboration and license agreement with Merck & Co., Inc. (through its affiliate Merck Sharp & Dohme Research Ltd). The collaboration is focused on developing an emerging class of oral drugs, allosteric modulators, that target the metabotropic glutamate receptor 4 (mGluR4) for Parkinson's disease and other undisclosed indications.


"Like dopamine and serotonin, glutamate is a key neurotransmitter in the human brain, an important signaling molecule involved in control of multiple brain functions ranging from motor control to mood. Although marketed drugs modulate specific receptors involved in both the dopaminergic and serotinergic systems, it has been difficult to develop drugs that target specific G protein coupled receptors in the glutamatergic system.

Merck has been a pioneer in research on mGlu receptors and the metabotropic glutamatergic system for multiple indications. For example, research by Merck scientists provided the first evidence that mGluR4 activation has potential for treatment of Parkinson's disease. However, a remaining challenge has been to make drug- like molecules that activate mGluR4 in a specific fashion. Addex is a pioneer in developing truly selective small molecule drug candidates targeting glutamate receptors and has disclosed allosteric modulator programs targeting mGluR5 and mGluR2."
"Published research* shows that mGluR4 activators, like those in development at Addex, could work via two distinct mechanisms to alleviate symptoms of Parkinson's disease and, potentially, even slow the progression of the disease: 1) mGluR4 activation triggers a compensatory mechanism that may spare or potentiate the use of dopamine receptor activators; 2) mGluR4 activation may have a neuroprotective effect that helps to preserve the brain's dopaminergic neurons.

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