Our product pipeline and life cycle management work is focused on the important areas of pain control, psychiatry, analgesia, neurology and anaesthesia. In 2007, we have significantly strengthened the early development pipeline by progressing 10 additional compounds into clinical testing. Although it was decided in 2006 not to start new discovery work in Parkinson’s disease (PD), multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuroprotection in stroke, current projects in development for PD and MS continue as planned.
Pain control
PN400 is a fixed-dose combination tablet of naproxen and esomeprazole which uses proprietary technology licensed from POZEN Inc. through a partnership established in August 2006. It is being developed for the relief of signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis in patients at risk for developing non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-associated gastric ulcers. At least 50% of the 60 million osteoarthritis patients in the US and the five largest European countries are at risk of developing NSAID-associated ulcers.
A phase III trial programme, which was initiated in the third quarter of 2007, is evaluating the incidence of gastric ulcers in at-risk patients with chronic pain taking PN400 versus the ulcer incidence in those taking naproxen alone. A regulatory submission for PN400 in the US is currently planned for the first half of 2009.
Psychiatry
We progressed four compounds, AZD6765, AZD2624, AZD6280 and AZD7325, into clinical development for the treatment of anxiety, schizophrenia and/or depression. We also entered into a collaboration with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, US to accelerate scientific discovery and therapeutic advancement for depression.
Analgesia
We have progressed three compounds, AZD2066, AZD1940 and AZD1386 into phase I clinical development for the treatment of nociceptive (caused by tissue damage) and/or neuropathic (caused by nerve damage) pain.
In October 2007, by mutual agreement with NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. we decided to end our collaborative efforts to discover and develop drugs targeting metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs). As part of this agreement, we have acquired certain know-how, intellectual property and technology rights from NPS Pharmaceuticals for our exclusive use.
We have established a partnership with the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center to develop platforms and clinical targets for new drugs in chronic pain.
Neurology
We continue to expand our research capabilities in positron emission tomography (PET) through our collaboration with the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, providing early signalling of potential efficacy for our Alzheimer’s compounds. In addition, we have established two Alzheimer’s alliances with key US centres, the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute in Phoenix, Arizona and Washington University in St. Louis. Both approaches are focused on the identification and progression of Alzheimer’s disease. We currently have eight development programmes, of which six are in clinical evaluation, in Alzheimer’s disease, cognitive disorders in schizophrenia (CDS) and specific segments of other neuro-degenerative diseases, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease.
AZD3480, the neuronal nicotinic receptor agent that we licensed from Targacept, Inc. in 2005, has successfully progressed into phase IIb clinical testing in both Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive disorders in schizophrenia (CDS). We have exercised a right to acquire an option from Targacept to take a licence of TC-5619, which Targacept is developing in CDS.
