Afraxis today announced it is collaborating with French pharma Servier on a drug discovery effort to treat central nervous system (CNS) disorders. The two firms will be using Afraxis’ Enhanced Spine Platform (ESP) technology to assess complex neural networks with the goal of evaluating preclinical efficacy and safety in CNS disorders, the San Diego-based drug discovery platform company said. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
“Servier has a strong commitment to CNS therapeutics, and their interest in the ESP technology further illustrates the potential of this platform in a drug discovery setting,” Afraxis president and CEO Carmine Stengone said in a statement. Added Servier’s Christian de Bodinat, director of CNS R&D: “The ESP Technology will allow Servier to fully investigate the broad potential of our drug candidates with the aim of bringing novel medicines into the clinic more rapidly and with greater certainty of action.”