Under the terms of the agreement Genentech will provide funding and research expertise to UCSF and collaborate on the identification of small molecules with neurodegenerative applications.
A research team at Genentech will also work closely with UCSF to develop a drug candidate based on prior research conducted at SMDC and discoveries at the biotech.
Marc Tessier-Lavigne, executive vice president, research of Genentech, added: “We believe that this latest agreement with SMDC enhances our relationship with the University and creates a new model for important industry-academic drug development partnerships."