AstraZeneca Licenses Antidepressant Compounds Discovered in Mayo Clinic and Virginia Tech Collaboration

AstraZeneca has licensed a portfolio of preclinical triple reuptake inhibitor (TRI) compounds for depression that were discovered by researchers from Virginia Tech and Mayo Clinic. The agreement provides AstraZeneca with a global license for all uses of the compounds, as well as exclusive manufacturing and commercial rights. It also establishes a research collaboration that will focus on jointly generating additional novel TRI compounds.

"Together with our colleagues at Mayo Clinic, we have been seeking wider-spectrum behavior and have developed a portfolio of TRIs to address imbalances associated with the three major neurotransmitters,” explains Paul R. Carlier, professor of organic and medicinal chemistry at Virginia Tech. “Besides incorporating all the benefits associated with serotonin and norepinephrine inhibition, our TRI compounds include the additional action of the dopamine neurotransmitter. We are excited to discover additional compounds that work through this unique mechanism."