BioWorld International Correspondent

PARIS - Genfit renewed its strategic research collaboration with the French pharmaceutical company Pierre Fabre Laboratoires.

Genfit, of Lille, France, and Pierre Fabre, of Castres, France, signed their initial collaboration agreement in 2001. The two companies have been undertaking several joint research programs since then, and have been concentrating more specifically on two drug discovery programs targeting metabolic disorders since 2005.

The companies said they recently identified a first-in-class group of molecules that could have a simultaneous therapeutic effect on Type II diabetes and dyslipidemia, as well as a potential effect on obesity, specifically through a phenotypic approach.

The two parties plan to embark on the first regulatory studies for one of those compounds in 18 months. The terms of their alliance give Pierre Fabre Laboratories exclusive rights to the commercialization of products emerging from the collaboration, while Genfit will continue to receive research funding, milestone payments and royalties.

Genfit's activities are focused on the deregulation of genes involved in common diseases. It is developing proprietary drugs to treat global cardiovascular and metabolic risk and is engaged in collaborations with leading pharmaceutical companies that are developing therapies for the most prevalent metabolic and inflammatory diseases.

Describing its collaboration with Pierre Fabre as exceptional, Genfit CEO Jean-François Mouney pointed out that the two companies had "profiled a large number of compounds in order to identify the best candidates for an innovating therapeutic solution in the area of Type II diabetes and specific risk factors associated with cardiometabolic disease." And he added that other large pharmaceutical companies were interested in "the promising targets that are the focus of our collaboration with Pierre Fabre."

Pierre Teillac, head of research and development at Pierre Fabre Group, said, "Our joint research suggests that it may be possible in a very short time span to develop a molecule, which will be innovative for Type II diabetes."