Probiodrug AG in Halle, Saxony-Anhalt, has been established since December 1997 as a venture capital financed drug research and development company. Probiodrug, with a staff of more than 50 scientists and technicians, is in biochemistry, has core competence in structure and function elucidation of proteolytic and related enzymes. Among them DP IV is an ubiquitous enzyme which plays a key role in peptide hormone regulation and in immune response (CD26) providing new therapeutic targets for metabolic and gastrointestinal. disorders. DP IV-like enzymes are further targets in CNS- disorders, cancer as well auto-immune diseases. Modulation of prolyl endopeptidase-like enzymes is a target for treatment of central nervous disorders. The founders Dr. Hans-Ulrich Demuth and Dr. Konrad Glund, both biochemists by education, have attracted 1998 Deutsche Venture Capital (DVC), an early stage investor in life science/information technologies and partner company of the Deutsche Bank AG, to join Probiodrug as an initial shareholder. The attraction which DP IV inhibition as a novel target for prevention and treatment of NIDDM meanwhile has gained led to several contacts to Probiodrug by the pharmaceutical industry. In 2000, Probiodrug has granted licenses to Merck & Co, in 2002 to Ferring and Johnson & Johnson, and in 2004 to Novartis Pharma AG for developing DP IV-inhibitors under certain probiodrug patents. On 17th of June 2004 Probiodrug sold its metabolic DP IV- platform to Prosidion Ltd, Oxford, UK. The company is focussing now on several gastrointestinal, CNS and immune targets to progress early and preclinical compounds into clinics in the upcoming years.

Probiodrug has reorganized since 2004 focusing now especially on Inflammation and CNS-targets. The company has programs in Inflammatory Disorders, Anxiety/Depression, Multiple Sclerosis, Neurodegeneration and Neuroprotection. Reaching in vivo proof of concept in these areas, the company looks for partnerships aiming research collaboration and/or co-development.