Another VR1 tag team

In the wake of the COX-2 debacle, it's no surprise that Pfizer Inc. is demonstrating an increased interest in alternative mechanisms to treat pain. Last week, PFE announced that it will combine its preclinical vanilloid receptor 1 antagonist program with one from Renovis Inc. Although intellectual property is likely to have been a driver for the deal, RNVS says that the pharmacokinetic properties of its VR1 antagonists are what really interested the pharma company.

RNVS and PFE will develop VR1 antagonists to treat pain, urinary incontinence and other diseases. "We are pooling our different compound libraries, chemical spaces, and patent estates on VR1 antagonists, a lot like Merck and Neurogen did previously. That is an excellent model for how to truly collaborate," RNVS President and CEO Corey Goodman said. ...