On 13 January, the global biotechnology company Biogen announced an agreement to acquire the investigational therapy PF-05251749 from Pfizer for treating neurological diseases including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). Pfizer will receive an upfront payment of USD 75 million. The purchase will also include up to USD 635 million in potential additional developments, commercialisation milestones payments and royalties. PF-05251749 is a novel small molecule that penetrates the central nervous system and inhibits casein kinase 1 (CK1), a protein controlling the circadian rhythm. The disruption of the circadian rhythm is associated with various neurological diseases including symptoms of AD and PD.
According to Biogen, PF-05251749 has previously demonstrated an acceptable safety profile and proof of mechanism in a Phase Ia study. Biogen is adding PF-05251749 to its pipeline of potential disease-modifying therapies for AD and PD. The company plans to evaluate PF-05251749 in a Phase Ib clinical trial for the treatment of sundowning in AD before the end of the year. In addition, it will also develop PF-05251749 for irregular sleep-wake rhythm disorder in PD.