W-L And BASF Form ICE Inhibitor Collaboration

Warner-Lambert and BASF have forged a collaborative agreement for the development of a new class of drugs which act by inhibiting interleukin-1beta converting enzyme, which catalyses the production of IL-1beta and is thought to be a key mediator in the early stages of inflammation and neurodegenerative disease states.

Possible disease targets for ICE inhibitors would be rheumatoid arthritis, septic shock and Alzheimer's disease. Elevated levels of IL-1beta have been detected in septic shock, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes and other autoimmune diseases, and IL-1beta is also overexpressed in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Furthermore, inhibition of IL-1beta activity has been shown to ameliorate symptoms in several animal models of human inflammatory disease, and a recent clinical trial in AD patients has suggested that treatment with anti-inflammatory agents may be preventative.

Multidisciplinary Approach As part of their collaboration, BASF and Warner-Lambert have agreed to set up a multidisciplinary scientific team to pursue the development of ICE inhibitors, and will have equal rights to any resulting products and technologies. BASF's subsidiary Knoll AG and Warner-Lambert's Parke-Davis unit will jointly market any drugs that are developed.