Repligen licenses rights for bipolar therapy

The USA's Repligen says that it has exclusively licensed worldwide rights for the use of uridine in the treatment of patients with bipolar  disorder from McLean Hospital. The use of uridine in the treatment of  patients with this condition is currently the subject of a patent  application which, upon issue, will remain in force until 2025 prior to  any regulatory extensions. Under the terms of the deal, McLean will  receive an upfront payment, development milestones and royalties upon  successful commercialization of uridine for bipolar disorder. McLean  Hospital is the largest psychiatric facility of Harvard Medical School  and maintains the largest research program of any private US psychiatric  hospital.

Repligen is developing RG2417, an oral formulation of uridine, as a  treatment for the depressive symptoms of bipolar disorder based on  positive results of a previously-reported Phase IIa clinical trial.

"Bipolar disorder affects more than two million adults in the United  States," stated Walter Herlihy, chief executive of Repligen. "Treatment  of the symptoms of bipolar depression remains an area of significant  unmet medical need, as current therapies are ineffective and result in  numerous side effects. We look forward to completion of our ongoing  proof-of-concept clinical trial which could provide a new approach to  the treatment of bipolar depression," he added.