BRIEF—Confo Therapeutics enters into another collaboration in CNS diseases

Belgian drug discovery firm Confo Therapeutics is to collaborate with Roche to discover novel small molecules and bring them through to commercialization.

The companies are targeting an undisclosed G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) for the treatment of neurological and developmental disorders.

Roche will hand over 6 million euros ($7 million) in upfront and preclinical milestone payments, gaining exclusive development, manufacturing and commercialization rights to any resulting compounds.

The deal could be worth up to 81.5 million euros based on later milestones, plus royalties on sales.

Confo chief executive Cedric Ververken said the deal strengthened the firm’s resolve to “vigorously pursue our own proprietary product pipeline in addition to enabling our partners to develop valuable medicines for patients.”

Confo Therapeutics was spun out from VIB and Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium, in 2015.

In September the firm signed a similar licensing agreement with Danish CNS specialist Lundbeck.