Pierre Fabre teams with Forest for CNS drug

French independent drugmaker Pierre Fabre and the USA's Forest Laboratories have signed an agreement to develop and the market F2695, a  mixed inhibitor of serotonin and noradrenaline recapture for the  treatment of depression and other central nervous system disorders, in  the USA and Canada.

Under the terms of the agreement, Forest will pay Pierre Fabre a single  entry fee of $75.0 million and subsequent staggered milestones and  royalties based on sales. The French firm will finance F2695's  preclinical development and production at an international level, while  Forest will be responsible for clinical development and marketing in the  USA and Canada.

F2695, an active isomer of milnacipran, is protected by patent until  June 2023. The companies say its efficacy on major depressive disorders  has been demonstrated in a Phase II double-blind, placebo-controlled  study of more than 550 patients.