Chronic pain affects about 20% of the population worldwide. It is – inadequately – treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory compounds and opioids that lack efficacy and that are associated with serious side effects. The signaling axis composed of nerve growth factor (NGF) and the receptor tropomyosin-related kinase A (TrkA) is one of the few nonopioid targets that have been validated for treating chronic pain in patients.

Sangamo Therapeutics Inc.’s second large, worldwide licensing deal for its capsid technology in the past five months is with Astellas Pharma Inc. The California-based company is getting $20 million up front and the chance to bring in up to $1.3 billion in fees and milestone payments in an agreement spanning five potential disease targets for gene therapies to treat neurological diseases.

Researchers from Engrail Therapeutics Inc. recently described the pharmacological characterization of ENX-105, a new class of molecule that combines 5-HT1A/2A receptor agonism with D2/3 receptor antagonism, to be used for its antianhedonic and antipsychotic effects.

Bristol Myers Squibb Co. has selected the first novel target for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) that was identified and validated by Insitro Inc. under the companies’ 2020 collaboration agreement to discover new therapies for ALS. The selection triggers a milestone payment to Insitro.

Investors will get more details during the International Lewy Body Dementia Conference in Amsterdam late next month, but Wall Street is already buzzing about Cognition Therapeutics Inc.’s data from the phase II study with CT-1812 in dementia with Lewy bodies.

Over the past few decades, drugs for Alzheimer’s disease development have predominantly focused on targeting β-amyloid but have shown limited clinical efficacy.

Newron Pharmaceuticals SpA scored €44 million (US$46.26 million) up front in a potential €117 million licensing deal with EA Pharma Co. Ltd. to pad the clinical runway of its late-stage oral schizophrenia asset, evenamide (NW-3509), sending company stock prices up near 20%.