Bionomics Shares Recent Developments in Collaboration with MSD for α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor (nAChR) Positive Allosteric Modulator (PAM) Research
Friday, September 15, 2023
Bionomics Limited (Nasdaq: BNOX), a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to developing innovative allosteric ion channel modulators for the treatment of severe central nervous system (CNS) disorders with substantial unmet medical needs, has provided an update on its collaboration with MSD (known as Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway NJ, USA, in the US and Canada) concerning the α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor (nAChR) Positive Allosteric Modulator (PAM) project. Data related to MK-4334, a novel clinical candidate created by MSD using Bionomics' original α7 nAChR PAM candidate (BNC375), was recently presented at the Society for Chemical Industry (SCI) and Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) 22nd Medicinal Chemistry Symposium, held in Cambridge, UK, from September 10-13, 2023.
Dr. Spyros Papapetropoulos, President and CEO of Bionomics, highlighted the longstanding collaboration with MSD and its focus on identifying innovative α7 nAChR PAMs for addressing cognitive disorders with significant unmet medical needs. He expressed his enthusiasm for the progress achieved through this collaboration.
BNC375, the original lead compound and a Type I α7 nAChR PAM, demonstrated strong and sustained dose-dependent efficacy across a wide dose range and in various cognitive animal models. Subsequently, MSD developed MK-4334, a novel clinical candidate, which, in early preclinical studies, exhibited enhanced drug-like properties and pharmacological characteristics compared to BNC375. In addition to ongoing Phase 1 studies assessing safety, tolerability, and clinical pharmacokinetics, clinical biomarker studies are underway to further evaluate the pharmacological response of α7 nAChR PAMs in humans.
Established in 2014, the exclusive Research Collaboration and License Agreement stipulates that MSD is responsible for funding all research, clinical development, and global commercialization of potential products resulting from this collaboration. The collaboration has already resulted in payments of $20M upfront and an additional $10M for achieving a Phase 1 milestone. Furthermore, Bionomics stands to receive up to $465M in milestone payments related to development and commercialization, as well as royalties on the sales of licensed drugs.
