J&J beefs up neuro pipeline, bags a new depression drug from Cerecor in $45M deal
Eight months after CERC-501 failed in a key mid-stage study for treating nicotine withdrawal, Cerecore has outlicensed the drug rights on depression to pharma giant J&J for $25 million in cash plus another $20 million milestone.
The drug, an oral kappa opioid receptor antagonist, has been studied for major depression as well as substance abuse at the microcap. And it will now join a neurosciences pipeline at J&J that includes a late-stage program for an inhaled version of ketamine, a horse tranquilizer that has demonstrated dramatic responses for quickly lifting depression and suicidal thinking — and which also has major psychotropic side effects.
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