AbbVie and Gedeon Richter have announced a new collaboration focused on discovering and developing novel targets for neuropsychiatric conditions. This agreement expands upon a nearly 20-year partnership between the two companies, which has already yielded globally launched products like Vraylar (cariprazine) and investigational drug candidate ABBV-932.
Financial and Commercial Terms
Under the terms of the agreement, Richter will receive an upfront cash payment of $25 million. Additionally, Richter is eligible to receive future developmental, regulatory, and commercialization milestone payments, as well as sales-based royalties. AbbVie will hold worldwide commercialization rights, excluding certain Richter markets including geographic Europe, Russia, and Vietnam.
Focus on Unmet Needs in Neuropsychiatry
"There remains a large unmet need for people living with neuropsychiatric disorders, making it imperative that we continue to innovate and pursue novel targets and approaches to discover and develop new therapies," said Jonathon Sedgwick, PhD, SVP global head, discovery research, AbbVie. The collaboration seeks to address this need by leveraging both preclinical and clinical R&D activities.
Vraylar: A Product of Prior Collaboration
Vraylar (cariprazine), a product of the existing partnership between AbbVie and Gedeon Richter, is approved for schizophrenia, bipolar I disorder, major depressive disorder (MDD), and as an adjunctive therapy for MDD. It functions as a partial agonist at central dopamine D2 and serotonin 5-HT1A receptors and as an antagonist at serotonin 5-HT2A receptors. Common adverse events associated with Vraylar include cerebrovascular events in elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, and tardive dyskinesia.
The Burden of Mental Illness
According to the National Institute for Mental Health, an estimated 59.3 million adults in the United States, representing 23.1% of the population, were living with Any Mental Illness (AMI) in 2022. Among adolescents, 49.5% had some form of mental disorder. This collaboration between AbbVie and Gedeon Richter aims to contribute to addressing this significant public health challenge.
Richter's Perspective
"This new agreement builds on years of successful partnership allowing Richter to further support AbbVie's global ambition in neuropsychiatry and validates the quality of science behind our unique discovery platform," said Gábor Orbán, CEO, Gedeon Richter.
