AbbVie and Gilgamesh Partner on Next-Gen Psychiatric Therapies

AbbVie, a prominent pharmaceutical company, and Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals have announced a collaborative effort and an option-to-license agreement aimed at developing advanced therapies for psychiatric disorders. This partnership will leverage AbbVie's extensive expertise in psychiatry and Gilgamesh's cutting-edge research platform to discover innovative neuroplastogens.

Classic psychedelic compounds have introduced new mechanisms for tackling mental health issues, with some showing promising clinical results where other treatments have fallen short. However, these first-generation compounds often cause significant psychoactive effects, such as hallucinations, which require in-office administration and supportive care.

The collaboration focuses on next-generation neuroplastogens, a class of compounds designed to minimize the challenging effects of their predecessors while offering substantial clinical benefits. These new compounds are expected to provide effective treatments for various psychiatric conditions, including mood and anxiety disorders. Gilgamesh's innovative research platform has successfully identified leading compounds in this novel therapeutic class.

Jonathon Sedgwick, Ph.D., senior vice president and global head of discovery research at AbbVie, emphasized the importance of pursuing novel technologies and approaches to meet the significant unmet needs of those living with psychiatric disorders. He expressed enthusiasm about working with Gilgamesh's esteemed team to advance the development of neuroplastogens and expand treatment options in psychiatry.

Jonathan Sporn, M.D., chief executive officer at Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals, echoed this sentiment, expressing excitement about partnering with AbbVie. He highlighted the potential of this collaboration to pioneer research into new therapies that could significantly improve patient outcomes in mental health treatment.

The agreement between AbbVie and Gilgamesh outlines plans to research and develop a range of next-generation therapeutics for psychiatric disorders. If the option is exercised, AbbVie will take the lead in development and commercialization activities. As part of the agreement, Gilgamesh will receive an upfront payment of $65 million from AbbVie and is eligible for up to $1.95 billion in aggregate option fees and milestones. Additionally, Gilgamesh will receive tiered royalties from mid-single to low-double digits on net sales.

AbbVie is dedicated to discovering and delivering innovative medicines and solutions that address serious health issues and anticipate future medical challenges. The company aims to make a significant impact on people's lives across several therapeutic areas, including immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and eye care, along with products and services in their Allergan Aesthetics portfolio.

Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage neuroscience biotech company, focuses on developing best-in-class new chemical entities (NCEs) that target the root causes of psychiatric diseases. Their approach moves away from mere symptom management towards rapid-acting, durable, disease-modifying therapies. Gilgamesh designs NCEs optimized for safety, efficacy, and patient access and is advancing a diverse portfolio of programs. This includes two lead clinical programs, GM-1020 and GM-2505, which are in Phase 2 studies for Major Depressive Disorder.

This collaboration between AbbVie and Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals represents a significant step forward in the pursuit of innovative treatments for psychiatric disorders, leveraging the strengths of both companies to potentially transform mental health care.