Forest Laboratories and Adamas Pharmaceuticals have collaborated for the development of a fixed dosed combination (FDC) of Namenda XR and donepezil HCl for Alzheimer's dementia in the US.
The company expects to launch the FDC that will be protected by a chain of patents untill 2029, in 2015 subsequent to FDA approval.
Forest chairman, chief executive officer and president Howard Solomon said studies support that when Namenda and donepezil are used together they improve cognition, function, and behavior in some patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease.
"This new fixed combination, which reduces the pill requirement from three tablets to one and the dosing frequency from two times per day to once per day, can benefit physicians, caregivers, and patients," Solomon added.
Pursuant to the agreement, Forest that holds commercialization rights in the US, will look after the development and commercialization actions.
Adamas will earn $65m upfront payment, $95m as development, FDA approval milestone payments besides royalties on net sales in the US.
Adamas chief executive officer Gregory Went said, "This collaboration will accelerate this innovative product's development towards a 2014 US NDA filing, and allow Adamas to focus our attention on the ex-US market for the product and to continue the ongoing development of Nurelin, our late-stage product candidate for the treatment of CNS disorders, including Parkinson's disease."
