NEW YORK (AP) – Zogenix Inc. said it plans to start human trials of an antipsychotic drug that is taken once per month and administered without needles.
The San Diego company said it will pay Durect Corp. as much as $105.3 million, including $2.3 million upfront, for the right to develop and market the drug. The deal also includes royalties on potential sales. The drug candidate is called Relday, and it is a version of the schizophrenia and bipolar disorder drug Risperdal. Zogenix said it wants to begin clinical trials of Relday in early 2012.
Relday is designed to include extended release technology from Durect that would allow patients to take the drug just once a month. Zogenix’s DosePro system is designed to deliver drugs under the skin without using a needle.
Johnson & Johnson’s Risperdal is a daily pill approved for the treatment of schizophrenia, autism, and as a short-term treatment for bipolar disorder. It is also available in generic form as risperidone. The New Brunswick, N.J., company also markets the schizophrenia treatment Rispderdal Consta, a version of the drug that is injected once every two weeks. Zogenix said a once-monthly injection would be more convenient.
Date: July 12, 2011
Source: Associated Press
Filed Under: Drug Discovery
