GSK, Alector to develop Parkinson's, Alzheimer's drugs in $2.2 billion
deal
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[July 03, 2021]
(Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline Plc and U.S. firm Alector Inc will together
develop antibody-based treatments for Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and other
similar diseases in a deal worth up to $2.2 billion, the drugmakers said
on Friday.
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 The tie-up comes weeks after U.S. authorities approved the first new
Alzheimer's drug in almost two decades, Biogen Inc's Aduhelm,
reinvigorating the industry's efforts to develop more treatments in
a challenging therapy category.
The collaboration also aligns with London-listed GSK's efforts to
build a robust pipeline of drugs, as it prepares to spin off its
large consumer healthcare division as a separate company.
Alector will receive $700 million upfront from GSK and could receive
up to $1.5 billion more payments tied to drug development-related
milestones and royalties.
GSK and Alector will develop two of the U.S. company's experimental
treatments that target a protein called progranulin, to fight off
neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's,
which affect the nervous system and can cause problems with regular
mental and physical functioning.
"Working with Alector's world class scientists will allow us to
investigate the potential of these immuno-neurology therapies," said
Hal Barron, chief scientific officer and president of R&D at GSK.
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 Progranulin is found on the GRN
gene and is a key regulator of immune activity
in the brain. Studies have found that mutations
in this gene are tied to several
neurodegenerative disorders, making progranulin
a target for new treatments.
Besides Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, Alector and
GSK's drug candidates are part of trials for
diseases such as frontotemporal dementia, a rare
type of dementia, Lou Gehrig's disease or ALS,
another rare disorder that weakens muscles and
impairs physical function.
The candidates belong to a class of medicines
called monoclonal antibodies used in
immunotherapy, where the body's own defences are
used to fight infections and other diseases,
including cancer.
(Reporting by Pushkala Aripaka in Bengaluru;
Editing by Rashmi Aich)
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