US biopharma company Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc. (ITI) has appointed former NICE Chairman Professor Sir Michael Rawlins to its Board of Directors.

Rawlins’ experience in the field of drug assessment, from both clinical and economic perspectives, will be of value to ITI’s ambitious programme of drug development to treat psychiatric and neurological disorders.

As Chairman of NICE from its inception in 1999 to March 2013, Rawlins had a complex relationship with the pharmaceutical industry, which respected his expertise but sometimes challenged his priorities.

With a background in medical practice and clinical pharmacology, Rawlins recently became President of the Royal Society of Medicine, and has received numerous medical awards.

Sharon Mates, CEO of ICT, said: “We are excited to have Sir Michael Rawlins join our board. His expertise in the cost-effectiveness of new pharmaceuticals and other issues in health economics will be invaluable to Intra-Cellular Therapies.

“I look forward to working closely with Michael as we transition our clinical programs through late-stage development and commercial approval.”

Rawlins commented: “ITI has set itself on a course to develop outstanding new pharmaceuticals to treat CNS diseases, surely an ambitious task, but one in which I am pleased to join and help.”

Based in New York, ITI aims to develop drugs for the treatment of dementia and major psychiatric disorders. Its novel antipsychotic ITI-007 is currently undergoing phase II clinical trials as a treatment for schizophrenia.

London-based pharma company Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Europe (DSP Europe) has changed its name to Sunovion Europe.

The new name reflects the development of DSP’s European subsidiary into a more active commercial organisation, shortly to launch a new schizophrenia drug.

Sunovion Europe will focus on products to treat mental health and neurological disorders – including the atypical antipsychotic lurasidone hydrochloride, which it plans to launch in Europe shortly.

The company will also develop and market specialised drugs for disease areas where there is unmet medical need.

Lurasidone hydrochloride, a generic drug, has been submitted to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for treatment of schizophrenia by DSP’s European partner, Takeda.

Dr Mike Taylor, Managing Director of Sunovion Europe, said: “This represents a significant landmark in the evolution of our European business as we prepare to commercialise our first drug in the UK.

“At Sunovion Europe we focus on the development and introduction of innovative medicines that improve people’s health and well-being. We will continue to focus on psychiatry and neurology, and over time will grow the European business to include other areas.”

Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma (DSP) is a multi-billion dollar company based in Japan. It was formed by the merger in 2005 of Dainippon Pharmaceutical Co. and Sumitomo Pharmaceuticals Co.

With a growing product portfolio and pipeline, DSP aims to become a major supplier of innovative treatments in psychiatry, neurology and oncology.

Pharmaceutical companies Lundbeck and Otsuka have formed a global alliance to deliver up to five new psychiatric and neuroscience drugs.

The Danish and Japanese pharma companies, both of which have a strong record in CNS products, have signed a sales and cost share agreement.

The alliance covers two near-term projects from Otsuka and an earlier-stage portfolio of psychiatric disorder treatments, encompassing psychotic, mood and behavioural disorders at all levels of severity, from Lundbeck.

The two companies have identified psychiatric disorders as a major area of unmet need.

Lundbeck is granted co-development and co-commercialisation rights to two Otsuka drugs: aripiprazole depot formulation (which improves compliance in users of the drug) and OPC-34712 (for schizophrenia and major depressive disorder).

Otsuka will have an option to co-develop and co-commercialise up to three early-stage compounds in Lundbeck’s R&D pipeline.

“With the addition of aripiprazole depot formulation and OPC-34712, Lundbeck has significantly broadened its growing psychiatry portfolio with exciting and unique treatments in an area of high unmet needs,” said Ulf Wiinberg, Lundbeck’s President and CEO.

“This collaboration further strengthens our US platform and allows us to be introduced with the US psychiatry community already in 2013."

Dr. Taro Iwamoto, President and Representative Director, Otsuka, commented: “We are very excited that Otsuka and Lundbeck have entered into a co-development and co-commercialisation agreement for aripiprazole depot formulation and OPC-34712, both potential key drivers of future growth for Otsuka’s CNS business.

“Lundbeck’s expertise in developing depression and anxiety treatments and Otsuka’s expertise in developing anti-psychotics will maximise the medical and commercial value of Otsuka’s portfolio in CNS. In addition, our partnership with Lundbeck will enable us to establish a strong platform to deliver these compounds to patients who need them.”

Through the sales and cost share agreement, Otsuka will receive up to US$1.8 billion from Lundbeck – which will see its psychiatry portfolio and US market penetration increase.

The combination of Otsuka’s strong presence in North America and Asia with Lundbeck’s strong presence in Europe, Canada and Latin America mean that the alliance will reach most of the global psychiatric market.