Pfizer Partnering With Zacharon To Develop Rare-Disease Drugs

Pfizer

is expected to formally announce Thursday a $210 million partnership with Zacharon Pharmaceuticals. The collaboration is centered around Zacharon's work in developing treatments for genetic diseases known as “lysosomal storage disorders”. This partnership marks the first such project for a new division within Pfizer set up to work on treatments for rare and genetic diseases – solutions that have become more possible and more profitable with the information gained from mapping of the human genome. Zacharon is not likely to be the only collaboration that Pfizer pursues. Ed Mascioli, division chief of the new Pfizer unit, is looking for additional collaborative projects.