BRIEF—UCB and GliaPharm team up in drug discovery

Belgian biopharma UCB has linked up with GliaPharm, a Swiss biotech that develops treatments for neurological and psychiatric disorders, in a strategic collaboration for the discovery of therapeutic targets in epilepsy.

GliaPharm's approach is to target glial cells, the support cells of neurons, and to develop new drugs that target glia-mediated pathways as agents for neuroprotection and maintenance of cognitive functions.

UCB will fund the collaboration and GliaPharm may be eligible to receive additional milestone payments. Further financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.