Novartis gets in on alpha-synuclein

Novartis is hardly known for novel CNS projects. But today the group took a punt on a potentially disease-modifying mechanism for Parkinson’s, via a deal with UCB. The target, alpha-synuclein, has had its fair share of setbacks, with Roche and Prothena last year reporting mixed data with their antibody, prasinezumab, and Biogen this year discontinuing BIIB054. At least Novartis has not paid top dollar: the company is giving UCB $150m up front, although it is on the hook for up to $1.5bn in milestones. In return, the Swiss company gets global co-development and co-commercialisation rights to UCB0599, an oral, brain-penetrant alpha-synuclein misfolding inhibitor, and an option on UCB7853, an anti-alpha-synuclein antibody. The two projects could complement each other, UCB noted. As well as Roche and Prothena, which are pressing on with prasinezumab, other companies looking at this target include include AC Immune, which struck its own deal here in July. Annovis Bio’s ANVS401, meanwhile, inhibits amyloid-beta and tau as well as alpha-synuclein – that group is planning phase 3 trials in both Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, but phase 2 data have been far from convincing.