GlaxoSmithKline has plugged a perceived gap in its near-term pipeline bylicensing a novel antidepressant from Merck KGaA, called EMD 68843 (SB 659746-A). The drug will reinforce the firm's antidepressant franchise, headed by Paxil/Seroxat (paroxetine), which achieved sales of around $1.9 billion in 1999 but is due to lose patent protection in 2006
EMD 68843, which acts as both a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor and as a partial serotonin 5-HT1a receptor agonist, is currently in Phase II development. GSK has negotiated a worldwide license for the compound, with exclusive rights in North America, though Merck has retained the option to jointly commercialize the product in certain markets outside North America, including in Europe, according to a report in the Financial Times.
Merck chief executive Bernhard Scheuble said that GSK "is the natural partner...to make this product a global market success," providing an endorsement of the marketing muscle of the firm, particularly in the USA where Pfizer, which has its own antidepressant franchise, headed by Zoloft (sertraline), is the acknowledged leader in terms of the size of its sales force. GSK has suffered a series of product disappointments in recent months, notably the withdrawal of the much-touted irritable bowel syndrome drug Lotronex (alosetron), delays in the program for its antidiabetic drug GI262570 and the issuance of a non-approvable letter in the USA for its quinolone antibiotic Factive (gemifloxacin; Marketletters passim).
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