Endo enters R&D deals with Harvard Univ and Aurigene

The USA's Endo Pharmaceuticals has signed two research collaboration agreements, one to develop novel treatments for pain and the other to  discover potential cancer drugs.

The first collaboration, with Harvard University, is based on a new  pain-drug-delivery technique that targets pain-sensing neurons without  affecting motor neurons. Under the terms of the deal, Endo will receive  exclusive worldwide rights to the technology and be responsible for  development and commercialization of any drug candidates discovered.

The second agreement, with Aurigene Discovery Technologies - a  subsidiary of India's Dr Reddy's laboratories - is a three-year  collaboration to discover novel drug candidates to treat cancer.  Aurigene will be responsible for all discovery and preclinical research  activities, while Endo will take control of all clinical development and  commercialization of drug candidates that advance into human testing.  The US firm will also provide research funding and milestones, as well  as receive worldwide rights to all intellectual property that results  from the collaboration.