Saturday, May 30, 2020
Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated and Icagen, a Ligand Company, announced today the expansion of Icagen’s license agreement with Roche to develop and commercialize small molecule ion channel modulators for the treatment of neurological disorders, by adding a second program to the agreement. The new program incorporates Icagen’s ion channel technology and expertise and is directed at a specific novel ion channel target relevant to neurodegenerative disease. The new program is in addition to ongoing work on another novel CNS target.
“Icagen’s collaboration with Roche was a key value-driver in the acquisition of the Icagen business, and we are very pleased to see this expansion and extension of the relationship,” said John Higgins, Chief Executive Officer of Ligand. “This type of deal fits perfectly within the Ligand strategy to establish and leverage partnerships with global leaders in the industry as they look to access our technology for their drug discovery and development needs. The Icagen team has been a great addition to Ligand’s business.”
"We are pleased to extend and expand our collaboration with Roche and its drug discovery team in Basel," said Icagen Site Head Douglas Krafte, PhD. "Our initial neurology program with Roche continues to make great progress and we hope to assist Roche in bringing multiple meaningful therapies to patients in areas of neurological disease with major unmet needs through both our initial and this new program."
