Seeking Novel Therapeutic Assets for Epilepsy

Grünenthal, a global leader in pain management and related diseases, is seeking novel therapeutic compounds for the treatment of epilepsies and related seizure disorders. In addition to seizure control, the team is interested in projects offering disease-modifying potential to improve, for example, cognition decline, anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances. 

Approaches of Interest:

• All forms of epilepsy and seizure disorders are of interest, including rare monogenic epilepsies and developmental and epileptic encephalopathies, such as Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut syndromes. Drug-resistant epilepsy and indications with limited treatment options are a particular priority 
• Modalities of interest include small molecules, oligonucleotide and RNA-based therapeutics, and peptides
• Focus on therapeutics for oral and systemic administration. Intrathecal delivery will also be considered 
• All targets are of interest. High-priority targets include EAAT2, AMPA TARP γ8, NKCC1, KCNT1, and Kv and Nav channels

Out of Scope:

• Viral gene therapy and cell therapy approaches 
• Drug repurposing 
• Therapeutics for intranasal administration 
• Platform technologies and projects without an associated asset or chemical matter 
• Clinical stage opportunities 

Developmental Stages of Interest:

• Opportunities from lead compound through to late preclinical, including the IND-enabling stage, are within scope 

Submission Information

Submission of one-page, 200–300-word briefs is encouraged, along with any optional supplementary information e.g. relevant publications. Submissions should contain the therapeutic molecule’s mode of action, any experimental validation, how it is differentiated from known approaches, and the status of the project, including funding requirements for next steps. In submitting to this campaign, you confirm that your submission contains only non-confidential information. 

Opportunity for Collaboration

Grünenthal is open to a range of collaboration opportunities, with the most appropriate outcome being decided on a case-by-case basis. Example outcomes include licensing assets and research collaborations.