Sanofi, Glenmark In Pain Meds Deal

In its first pharmaceutical research partnership in India, Sanofi-Aventis has licensed drug candidates for treating chronic pain from India’s Glenmark Pharmaceuticals. In return, Glenmark will receive an up-front fee and milestone payments that could total $325 million, as well as potential royalties. The agents are vanilloid receptor antagonists, which inhibit the TRPV3 receptor, an ion-channel protein that mediates and influences cell signaling. One candidate is in Phase I clinical development for treating diabetic neuropathic and osteoarthritic pain.