A Wayne State University partnership with ex-Pfizer scientists get $118K from the Michigan Job fund.
Excerpt:
Wayne State University and former Pfizer scientists have formed a partnership hoping to expedite a promising new drug for depression while attracting biotech investors to the state.
The drug, which could lead to better treatment of depression and is backed by a $118,000 grant funded by the state's 21st Century Job Fund to commercialize intellectual property in Michigan, was discovered by Aloke Dutta, a WSU professor of pharmaceutical sciences.
It would target dopamine, a chemical in the brain that regulates walking, movement, balance, and two other neurotransmitters in the brain. None of the 38 FDA-approved anti-depressant drugs on the market target dopamine, and they can take weeks to help patients feel better. Dutta's discovery has the potential to offer relief and minimize side effects for 1 in 5 Americans suffering from depression.
"Dopamine has been implicated in depression for quite some time," said Dutta. "Now we are addressing the missing link."
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