Early Stage Deal Validates Tech, Provides Runway for Vernalis

LONDON – The £400,000 (US$626,624) milestone payment Vernalis plc triggered last week in its drug discovery collaboration with H. Lundbeck A/S may look modest. But added to two other milestones reached in the past four months, the company has made £1.2 million, demonstrating that in addition to providing validation of the company's fragment and structure-based discovery technology, those early stage collaborations can provide a meaningful resource.