AstraZeneca licenses preclinical-stage TRIs

Anglo-Swedish drug major AstraZeneca has licensed a portfolio of preclinical triple reuptake inhibitor compounds for depression from  USA-based research centers the Mayo Clinic and Virginia Tech  Intellectual Properties.

The agreement provides AstraZeneca with a global license for all uses of  the compounds, as well as exclusive manufacturing and commercial  rights. It also establishes a research collaboration that will focus on  jointly generating additional novel TRI compounds. Financial details of  the deal were not disclosed.

Current classes of antidepressant therapies such as selective serotonin  and dual serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors are proven  treatments for depression and anxiety. However, they only address the  imbalances of one or two of the neurotransmitters in the brain.