UCB Signs Pacts In Neuroscience

Belgian drugmaker UCB has joined with two biotech firms in the neuroscience area. It will work for two years with California-based ConfometRx on drugs that modulate G protein-coupled receptor targets. As the largest family of signaling proteins, GPCRs are involved in most physiological processes. In another deal, UCB will pay a $20 million licensing fee and additional milestone fees for exclusive rights to Biotie’s tozadenant. The Finnish firm is developing the adenosine A_2a receptor inhibitor as a Parkinson’s disease treatment. Under a 2010 R&D agreement with UCB, Biotie is still eligible for up to $340 million in milestone payments.