UWM expects significant revenue from licensing of compounds

Milwaukee, Wis. - In a deal that could provide substantial financial returns for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, the UWM Research Foundation and MPP Group of Wauwatosa have completed a license agreement for compounds that may treat and control alcohol addiction, the university announced.

MPP Group, a biopharmaceutical firm that will serve as UWM's commercial partner, will develop the compounds with the intent of producing an Food and Drug Administration-approved therapeutic agent for the treatment of alcohol addiction.

The licensed compounds, developed by UWM chemistry professor James Cook, appear to interact with certain neurotransmitters in the brain to block the euphoric effects of alcohol without the side effects of inducing anxiety or sedation.

If approved by the FDA, the compounds could be used to treat a disease that affects about 17 million Americans, and they also may be useful in treating other addictive disorders.

According to Brian Thompson, president of the UWM Research Foundation, licensing revenue derived from the compounds will be reinvested in future research. This includes the discovery and development of additional drug compounds by Cook, Thompson added. MPP Group, located in the Milwaukee County Research Park, specializes in small molecule active pharmaceutical ingredients designed to treat a variety of medical conditions. The company has a number of compounds and products in various stages of development, including preclinical studies.