16 December 2010 -- Vernalis plc (LSE: VER), and H. Lundbeck A/S (Lundbeck) today announce that they have entered
into a drug discovery collaboration utilising Vernalis’ fragment and structure-based drug discovery
platform against LRRK2, a kinase target. Inhibitors of this target may have potential utility in the
treatment of neurodegenerative indications, such as Parkinson’s Disease.
Under the terms of the collaboration Vernalis will receive fees and a potential share in the
downstream success of the product in the form of milestones and royalties on sales. The financial
terms of this collaboration are not disclosed.
Ian Garland, CEO of Vernalis, commented: “We are delighted to be working with Lundbeck and look
forward to a close working relationship over the course of the collaboration. The collaboration
announced today further endorses the quality of our fragment and structure-based drug discovery
platform and continues our success in securing collaborations that allow us to maintain a balanced
investment in research.”
“Lundbeck will get access to a state of the art platform for fragment based drug discovery and
structural biology. This combined with their experience for discovering Kinase inhibitors and
Lundbeck CNS experience will ensure a strong alliance towards finding novel medicines” said Klaus
Bæk Simonsen, Head of Discovery Chemistry at H. Lundbeck A/S.
Enquiries:
Vernalis Contacts
Ian Garland, Chief Executive Officer +44 (0) 118 989 9360
David Mackney, Chief Financial Officer
Brunswick Group
Jon Coles +44 (0) 20 7404 5959
Justine McIlroy
Taylor Rafferty
Rob Newman +44 (0) 20 7614 2900
Faisal Kanth
About Lundbeck
H. Lundbeck A/S (LUN.CO, LUN DC, HLUKY) is an international pharmaceutical company
highly committed to improving the quality of life for people suffering from central nervous
system (CNS) disorders. For this purpose, Lundbeck is engaged in the research and
development, production, marketing and sale of pharmaceuticals across the world. The 2
company's products are targeted at disorders such as depression and anxiety, schizophrenia,
insomnia, epilepsy and Huntington's, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
Lundbeck was founded in 1915 by Hans Lundbeck in Copenhagen, Denmark. Today
Lundbeck employs approximately 5,900 people worldwide. Lundbeck is one of the world's
leading pharmaceutical companies working with CNS disorders. In 2009, the company's
revenue was DKK 13.7 billion (approximately EUR 1.8 billion or USD 2.6 billion). For more
information, please visit www.lundbeck.com.
About Vernalis
Vernalis is a development stage pharmaceutical company with significant expertise in taking
promising product candidates along a commercially-focused path to market. The Group has
one marketed product, frovatriptan for the acute treatment of migraine, and nine candidates in
development, six of which are designated priority programmes. Three of these priority
programmes are currently unpartnered and three are partnered. Pipeline programmes are
derived from both our own research activities where we have significant expertise in
fragment and structure based drug discovery, as well as from collaborations. Our
technologies, capabilities and products are endorsed by collaborations with Biogen Idec,
Chiesi, Endo, GSK, Menarini, Novartis and Servier.
For further information about Vernalis, please visit www.vernalis.com
Vernalis Forward-Looking Statement
This news release may contain forward-looking statements that reflect the Company's current
expectations regarding future events including the clinical development and regulatory
clearance of the Company's products, the Company's ability to find partners for the
development and commercialisation of its products, as well as the Company's future capital
raising activities. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Actual events
could differ materially from those projected herein and depend on a number of factors
including the success of the Company's research strategies, the applicability of the
discoveries made therein, the successful and timely completion of clinical studies, the
uncertainties related to the regulatory process, the ability of the Company to identify and
agree beneficial terms with suitable partners for the commercialisation and/or development
of its products, as well as the achievement of expected synergies from such transactions, the
acceptance of Frova® and other products by consumers and medical professionals, the
successful integration of completed mergers and acquisitions and achievement of expected
synergies from such transactions, and the ability of the Company to identify and consummate
suitable strategic and business combination transactions.