WSU, research institute collaborate to treat depression

Wayne State University and the Michigan Technology and Research Institute paired up to make an improved antidepressant drug earlier this year, and may form a company to advance the product.
The Michigan Technology and Research Institute, located in Ann Arbor is a research service in pharmaceutical and biotechnology.
Dr. David Pegg, president of the Technical Center of the institute, said the new drug is different from ones currently on the market. It has fewer side effects and an faster onset time.
“By adding in this additional component, we are hoping to see significant improvements in safety and efficacy,” Pegg said.
Dr. Aloke Dutta, Wayne State professor of medicinal chemistry and pharmaceutical sciences, discovered the new compound for the drug in his lab during his ongoing research. He said the project is in the beginning stages.
Dr. Randy Ramharack, technology licensing manager for Wayne State, said the project will take three to five years to start clinical tests of the drug’s safety and the activity of its compounds, before the drug can be tested on people.
The institute will help gather funding and to start the clinical trials, he said.
“They have excellent relationships with venture capitalists—the people who have the money to do this kind of work,” Ramharack said.
The project is funded through the Michigan Universities Commercialization Initiative, a part of Michigan’s 21st Century Jobs Fund.
Ramharack said the grant is not enough to carry the drug through several stages of putting it on the market, which can take years.
Pegg said the grant will aid in making a valid decision for which of the several compounds to take forward to the next funding level.
If the drug proves successful, there is likelihood that a larger company will license the compound from Dutta, he said.
Pegg said Wayne State and the institute may form a company to negotiate and constitute both sides and interests with a larger pharmaceutical firm.
With the number of drugs on the market, it will be a challenge to prove the product is better than others, Pegg said. Failures in approving pharmaceuticals are very high.
Dutta said the development of antidepressants is one of several ongoing projects between Wayne State and the institute, including development of drugs to treat Parkinson’s disease and substance abuse.