Pharmaceutical company Indivior has collaborated with French biotechnology company Aelis Farma to advance the clinical development of a treatment for cannabis use disorder (CUD) and cannabis-induced psychosis (CIP).
The collaboration also includes an option and license agreement for the global rights of AEF0117, a Signaling Specific inhibitor (SSi), which inhibits the cannabinoid type 1 receptor.
Under term of the deal, Aelis will receive $30m initial payment from Indivior for an exclusive global option of AEF0117, which recently completed Phase IIa study.
Through this option, Indivior will have right to assume all development and commercialisation activities of AEF0117 upon completion of a Phase IIb study.
Aelis will conduct the Phase IIb study of AEF0117 in return for an additional $100m payment to be made by Indivior.
The company will also be eligible for a series of potential milestone payments and royalties based on the sales.
Indivior stated that the license agreement also includes exclusive global rights on a patent covering AEF0117 as well as the related compounds and methods of using patent for treating cannabis-related disorders that include CUD and CIP.
Indivior CEO Mark Crossley said: “Increasing prevalence of cannabis from the growing movement to legalize medical and recreational marijuana use is leading to greater concern for the potential of adverse outcomes, including elevated addiction risk.
“Cannabis is the most commonly used substance of abuse in the US after alcohol and tobacco; however, we have no FDA-approved medications for cannabis-related disorders, which are complex and concerning.
“AEF0117 is the most advanced new chemical entity under investigation in the clinic and potentially represents a unique opportunity to address a growing unmet public health need.”