Grenoble (France), 2nd December 2014 –
 

Synapcell to assess the potential of UCB's candidate molecules in the field of epilepsy. The two-year agreement will take advantage of SynapCell’s MTLE (mesial temporal lobe epilepsy) mouse solutions.

More than 65 million people world-wide are affected by epilepsy (WHO). Full drug development is time-consuming, complicated and costly, making it a major advantage to be able to select the one compound to be taken to the market as early as possible from a range of thousands of substances. SynapCell's ten-year experience in this field and its unique solution combining translational in vivo models of epilepsy with EEG to record and quantify subclinical seizures, has made it a key player in this field.

UCB is committed to discovering and developing new therapies to improve patient care. UCB aims to use SynapCell's expertise to expand its innovative discovery platform in epilepsy and rapidly obtain preclinical proof-of-concept data for selected molecules that can be then prioritized for future development. As part of this aim, UCB and SynapCell announce today their partnership.

“We are delighted to have access to the skills in integrated electrophysiology and epilepsy available at SynapCell. They will complement our internal know-how and enhance our capacity to identify the compounds which are most likely to succeed in the next stages of development. It is a pleasure to start this collaboration with SynapCell’s team of skilled investigators” says Dr. Rafal Kaminski, Senior Director, Neurosciences TA, UCB.

“This partnership with UCB, the leading actor in antiepileptic drug discovery, reinforces the position of SynapCell as a key player in accelerating clinical development by assessing the potential of molecules to succeed as drug candidates. Our expertise in the field of epilepsy drug discovery, using the MTLE mouse model combined with EEG biomarkers, will facilitate the discovery of new, effective therapeutic molecules. Discovery of these compounds is currently a major challenge for the pharmaceutical industry and for the advancement of public health. The trust these international experts place in our solutions is gratifying and is very promising for the future. We are enthusiastic about beginning this collaboration.” says Dr. Corinne Roucard, CEO of SynapCell.

About SynapCell:
SynapCell is an innovative company providing translational drug discovery solutions combining EEG biomarkers and relevant rodent models. SynapCell has assessed a wide range of compounds in its epilepsy program for international pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Their results have provided several clinical leads for CNS drug discovery.
Find out more about SynapCell at www.synapcell.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
SYNAPCELL, 5, avenue du Grand Sablon 38 700 La Tronche, France.
For more information about the MTLE mouse model, please contact SynapCell at contact@synapcell.com.

About UCB:
UCB, Brussels, Belgium (www.ucb.com) is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines and solutions to transform the lives of people living with severe diseases of the immune system or of the central nervous system. With more than 8500 people in approximately 40 countries, the company generated revenue of € 3.4 billion in 2013. UCB is listed on Euronext Brussels (symbol: UCB). Follow us on Twitter: @UCB_news

 
Press contact
Corinne Roucard, Ph.D.
C.E.O. at SynapCell
+33 476 637 590
contact@synapcell.com