Wyeth named "best CNS pipeline"

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of US drug major Wyeth, says that the January issue of R&D Directions magazine has selected the firm as the Best Central Nervous System Pipeline as part of the publication's annual Top 10 Pipeline Report.

Currently, Wyeth has 19 compounds in its CNS drug pipeline under development as potential treatments for patients with neurological conditions including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, Alzheimer's disease, neuropathic pain, fibromyalgia and acute stroke.

Wyeth notes that it is the only major pharmaceutical company exploring three technical platforms for Alzheimer's therapeutics: small molecules, biotechnology proteins and vaccines. As part of its "War on Alzheimer's Disease," the company has 11 compounds in development including beta-amyloid inhibitors (in partnership with Elan Pharmaceuticals), gamma secretase inhibitors, plasminogen activator inhibitors and cognitive enhancers. Alzheimer's is a devastating neurological disorder that is expected to affect more than 80 million people worldwide by 2040, the firm points out.