Servier exercises the exclusive worldwide license option

Servier exercises the exclusive worldwide license option of their collaboration program with OPM on Parkinson’s disease

Suresnes and Dijon (France), 26 September 2022 at 06:00pm – Servier, an international pharmaceutical company, and Oncodesign Precision Medicine (OPM), a subsidiary of Oncodesign (ALONC – FR0011766229) specialized in precision medicine, announce that Servier has exercised its exclusive license option for their drug candidate, an inhibitor of the LRRK2 (Leucine-Rich-Repeat Kinase 2) kinase target.

• CTA approval by the ANSM and the EC of the phase 1 program resulting from the collaboration between Servier and OPM for the development of an innovative treatment in Parkinson’s disease
• Exercise of the worldwide exclusive license option, triggering a €7 million milestone payment by Servier to OPM
• Launch before the end of 2022 of a Phase 1 study in healthy volunteers, sponsored by Servier

About Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease is the most common neurodegenerative disorder responsible for motor disfunction, affecting 1% of the world’s population aged over 60 . In total, about 170,000 people are treated in France, with approximately 25,000 new cases reported each year. It is a chronic disease with a progressive evolution of symptoms: slowed movements, tremors, rigidity. Parkinson’s disease is characterized by a progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons and by an accumulation of the protein α-synuclein in the brain. Current treatments, which are only symptomatic, are based on dopamine supplementation to compensate for the loss of dopaminergic neurons and reduce motor disorders, but their effectiveness diminishes with time. To date, there is no neuroprotective therapy able to slow down the progression of the disease. Modifying the course of the disease remains the main objective in the research and development of new treatments for Parkinson’s disease.

About the LRRK2 target

Parkinson’s disease is considered an idiopathic disease, i.e. without a clearly identified origin in the vast majority of cases. Pathogenic mutations in LRRK2 protein are the most common monogenic form of Parkinson’s disease; a high level of LRRK2 protein activity is observed in these patients and also in idiopathic patients. The pathological features and clinical symptoms of an idiopathic patient and a patient with LRRK2 mutations are similar. LRRK2 is a multi-domain protein, which contains both kinase and GTPase enzymatic activities, where the pathogenic mutations are located. Inhibiting LRRK2 would therefore have neuroprotective potential, able to modify the progression of Parkinson’s disease. Last May, the first Phase I and Phase Ib clinical trials with other LRRK2 inhibitors showed very encouraging results. The collaboration program between Servier and OPM aims to develop a differentiating compound that addresses the major medical needs of Parkinson’s disease patients.

About Servier

Servier is a global pharmaceutical group governed by a Foundation. With a strong international presence in 150 countries and a total revenue of 4.7 billion euros in 2021, Servier employs 21,800 people worldwide. Servier is an independent group that invests over 20% of its brand-name revenue in Research and Development every year. To accelerate therapeutic innovation for the benefit of patients, the Group is committed to open and collaborative innovation with academic partners, pharmaceutical groups, and biotech companies. It also integrates the patient’s voice at the heart of its activities.A leader in cardiology, the ambition of the Servier Group is to become a renowned and innovative player in oncology. Its growth is based on a sustained commitment to cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, oncology, neuroscience and immuno-inflammatory diseases. To promote access to healthcare for all, the Servier Group also offers a range of quality generic drugs covering most pathologies.

More information: www.servier.com

Press contact:
Sonia Marques I presse@servier.com I Tel: +33 (0)1 55 72 40 21

About OPM

Oncodesign Precision Medicine (OPM), a subsidiary of Oncodesign, is a technological company specialized in precision medicine. Its mission is to provide innovative therapeutic and diagnostic solutions to treat the phenomena of therapeutic resistance and metastatic evolution of cancers. The patient is at the heart of its thinking, its truly unique innovation model and its investments. With a diversified portfolio of compounds and therapeutic targets, OPM is positioned as a drug hunter of effective compounds against resistant and advanced cancers and other diseases without therapeutic solutions. For OPM, “working together is essential”, there can be no value creation without exchange and dialogue. For us, value creation results from reciprocity, i.e. balanced and equitable exchanges at all levels, whether between internal collaborators, or with our partners, therapists, patients, experts and investors. More information: opm.oncodesign.com

Contact :
Philippe Genne | Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | Phone: +33 (0)3 80 78 82 60 | investisseurs@oncodesign.com