Almirall links with Inserm Transfert to develop treatments for vitiligo

Spanish dermatology specialist Almirall (ALM: MC) has entered into a licensing and research collaboration with Inserm Transfert, the private subsidiary of the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm), to advance treatment options for vitiligo.

The partnership, signed by Inserm Transfert, on behalf of Inserm, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire of Nice and University of Nice Côte d’Azur, will focus on identifying and developing a novel class of medicines that modulate the Wnt pathway, a key target involved in skin repigmentation.

Through this partnership, the knowledge of Prof Thierry Passeron’s team at the Mediterranean Centre for Molecular Medicine (C3M - Inserm U1065- University of Nice Côte d’Azur), who has been at the forefront of research in vitiligo, will be combined with Almirall's expertise in drug discovery to identify and develop new topical compounds for the treatment of the condition. Almirall has also been granted global rights to Inserm’s background patents on the use of Wnt agonists in the treatment of vitiligo.