Ferrer, member of CataloniaBio & HealthTech, reaches an agreement with the North American firm Verge Genomics to acquire the drug VRG50635, a potentially inhibitory molecule of the enzyme PIKfyve that could improve survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. 

The company owned by Sergi Ferrer-Salat acquired the rights to develop and commercialize this potential drug in Europe, Central and South America, Southeast Asia, and Japan. In the rest of the geographies, the ownership will remain with Verge Genomics, an organization backed by AstraZeneca, also members since last autumn. The company did not disclose the amount of the transaction or the payments for future achievements. 

The new molecule is developed from an artificial intelligence-based platform called Converge, which uses human tissue data for its work, and according to Ferrer, it is one of the first drug candidates to move into the clinical trial phase. VRG50635 would be administered orally and could improve the survival of neurons in patients affected by ALS. 

Currently, the drug is undergoing a phase Ib proof-of-concept trial in Canada and the Netherlands. The drug is designed to block the enzyme PIKfyve, a practice that has already shown positive results in preclinical studies in tests of neuronal degeneration related to the disease. 

"We believe that VRG50635 represents a completely new and promising approach to treating this very serious disease, and we hope that with this collaboration we can accelerate the development of a potential treatment. Additionally, this new therapy represents a very significant addition to our growing portfolio of treatments for rare neurological disorders," noted Oscar Pérez, Chief Scientific Officer of Ferrer.