Cerevel Therapeutics

Cerevel Therapeutics Holdings, Inc. was an American biotechnology and pharmaceuticals company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, focused on the development of novel therapies for mental and neurological illnesses.[1]

History

Cerevel was established in October 2018.[2] The company was formed in a collaboration between pharmaceuticals company Pfizer and private equity firm Bain Capital.[3][4]

In 2019, Cerevel appointed N. Anthony Coles as its chief executive officer.[5] In 2020, Coles led Cerevel's effort to raise $445 million for brain drugs, the third largest biotech public listing at that time (after Legend Biotech and Moderna).[6] In May 2023, Coles resigned from his position as CEO, yet retained his role as board chairman of Cerevel.[7]

In December 2023, American pharmaceutical company AbbVie announced its intention to acquire Cerevel for US$8.7 billion.[8][9][10] The acquisition was completed in August 2024 with Cerevel becoming a subsidiary of Abbvie.[11][12]

Pipeline

Cerevel uses novel approaches and technologies to develop its drugs and treatment therapies. Its pipeline contains an array of drugs and therapies treating a range of conditions including Schizophrenia, Parkinson's, Epilepsy, mood disorders, and more.[13]

Notable Cerevel drugs and treatments at varying stages of development include:

• Tavapadon (Parkinson's)[14]
• Emraclidine (Schizophrenia, Alzheimer's)[15]
• Darigabat (Epilepsy)[16]
• CVL-871 (Dementia, Apathy)[17]
• CVL-354 (Major depressive and Substance-related disorders)[18]

Approach to treatment

Cerevel's tagline mission statement is to "unravel the mysteries of the brain" to treat neurological disease.[19] Scientifically, its approach to therapy development focuses on understanding the wiring of the brain, pursuing novel targets, and addressing specific receptor sub-types.[1]

The company has stated its approach to neurotherapy development can be viewed as:

• Development of treatment opportunities by precisely identifying and targeting the neurocircuitry that underlies a given neurological disease.[1]
• Selective targeting of only the relevant receptor subtype(s) related to the physiology of the disease being treated. This has the impact of minimizing undesired off-target and side effects, while maximizing activity.[1]
• The design of full and partial agonists, antagonists and allosteric modulators that can precisely fine-tune the receptor pharmacology and neurocircuit activity, without over-activation or over-suppression of the endogenous physiologic range.[1]

External links