F2695 has completed a Phase II study in depression.
Forest Laboratories is paying $75 million to Pierre Fabre Medicament for rights to develop and commercialize F2695 in the U.S. and Canada. F2695 is a selective norepinephrine and serotonin reuptake inhibitor being tested for the treatment of depression and other central nervous system disorders.
Forest will also pay milestone fees and royalties. Forest will assume responsibility for the clinical development and commercialization of F2695, while Pierre Fabre will fund all preclinical development and drug substance manufacturing activities worldwide.
“We are highly encouraged by the strong clinical antidepressant activity and good tolerability exhibited by F2695 in the recently completed placebo-controlled, double-blind Phase II study,” says Howard Solomon, chairman and CEO of Forest. “We look forward to initiating Phase III studies with F2695 next year.”
In a recently completed European placebo-controlled, double-blind Phase II study of F2695 in over 550 patients with major depressive disorder, the compound demonstrated statistically significant improvement compared to placebo regarding change from baseline in total score on the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale, according to the firms.
