Lundbeck enters into drug discovery collaboration with Zenobia and Vernalis

H. Lundbeck A/S (Lundbeck) today announced that it has signed agreements with
Zenobia Therapeutics (Zenobia) and Vernalis plc (Vernalis) which will provide
Lundbeck with access to know-how relevant for making inhibitors for Leucine-rich
repeat kinases. A member of this family of kinases, the Leucine-rich repeat
kinase 2 (LRRK2) is a high priority target for Lundbeck due to it's relevance in
several therapeutic indications, including Parkinson's disease.
 
Lundbeck will collaborate with Zenobia and utilize Zenobia's expertise in
protein expression and x-ray crystallography for the LRRK2 target. Under the
agreement, Zenobia will complete x-ray crystal structures of wild-type and a
Parkinson's disease associated mutant in complex with Lundbeck lead compounds.
Zenobia retains all rights and ownership of the LRRK2 structure and to their
internal LRRK2 chemistry program. The financial terms of this collaboration are
not disclosed.
 
The Vernalis agreement will focus on a drug discovery collaboration utilising
Vernalis' fragment and structure-based drug discovery platform. Under the terms
of the agreement, Lundbeck and Vernalis will collaborate in identifying
candidate compounds that can inhibit LRRK2. Vernalis will receive fees and a
potential share in the downstream success of the product in the form of
milestones and royalties on sales. The financial terms of this collaboration are
not disclosed.
 
"These collaborations are important supplements to Lundbeck's commitment to
provide new innovative medicines in the CNS field in areas with high unmet
needs. They represent another step in Lundbeck's new R&D strategy to ensure we
have the most efficient platform for the future discovery and development of
drugs that will be able to help and treat biologically defined groups of
patients with brain diseases. It is this type of drugs we expect will be in
demand in the future", says Peter Høngaard Andersen, Executive Vice President,
Research Management at Lundbeck.
 
LRRK2, also known as dardarin, is an enzyme that is encoded by the LRRK2
gene[i]. Mutations in this gene represent one of the risk factors for the
development of Parkinson's disease[ii]. Four LRRK2 gene variants found are found
in the familial Parkinson's cases, but infrequent in the general population.
LRRK2 inhibition potentially has neuroprotective propensities as it seems the
gene is expressed at high levels in dopamine producing neurons.
 
Financial guidance
The content of this release will have no influence on the Lundbeck Group's
financial guidance for 2010 which was provided on 4 March 2010 in connection
with the release of the financial results for 2009 and further specified with
the release of the third quarter report on 3 November 2010.
 
Lundbeck contacts
 
Investors:                           Media:
 
Palle Holm Olesen                    Mads Kronborg
 
Chief Specialist, Investor Relations Media Relations Manager
 
+45 36 43 24 26                      +45 36 43 28 51
 
Magnus Thorstholm Jensen             Stine Hove Marsling
 
Investor Relations Officer           External Communication Specialist
 
+45 36 43 38 16                      +45 36 43 28 33
 
Jacob Tolstrup
 
Vice President
 
+1 847 282 5713
 
About Vernalis
Vernalis is a development stage pharmaceutical company with significant
expertise in taking promising product candidates along a commercially-focused
path to market. The company has one marketed product, frovatriptan for the acute
treatment of migraine, and nine candidates in development, six of which are
designated priority programmes. Three of these priority programmes are currently
unpartnered and three are partnered. Pipeline programmes are derived from both
Vernalis' research activities where the company has significant expertise in
fragment and structure based drug discovery, as well as from collaborations.
Vernalis' technologies, capabilities and products are endorsed by collaborations
with Biogen Idec, Chiesi, Endo, GSK, Menarini, Novartis and Servier.
 
About Zenobia
Zenobia provides a commercial fragment library, and access to their structural
biology, crystallography and fragment-based lead discovery expertise through
partnerships, consulting and collaborations. Zenobia's internal programs combine
fragment-based lead discovery with the expertise of biologists and clinicians to
find treatments for devastating illnesses for which there is no disease altering
treatment such as Parkinson's disease and pediatric neuroblastoma.
 
About Lundbeck
H. Lundbeck A/S (LUN.CO, LUN DC, HLUKY) is an international pharmaceutical
company highly committed to improving the quality of life for people suffering
from central nervous system (CNS) disorders. For this purpose, Lundbeck is
engaged in the research and development, production, marketing and sale of
pharmaceuticals across the world. The company's products are targeted at
disorders such as depression and anxiety, schizophrenia, insomnia, epilepsy and
Huntington's, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
 
Lundbeck was founded in 1915 by Hans Lundbeck in Copenhagen, Denmark. Today
Lundbeck employs approximately 5,900 people worldwide. Lundbeck is one of the
world's leading pharmaceutical companies working with CNS disorders. In 2009,
the company's revenue was DKK 13.7 billion (approximately EUR 1.8 billion or USD
2.6 billion). For more information, ple
 
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[i] Neuron, Volume 44, Issue 4, 595-600, 18 November 2004
[ii] Nature Reviews Neuroscience, Volume 11, 791, December 2010
 
Release no 421: 
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