Pharmaceutical giants collaborating with emerging companies — hopeful sign

Given the complex roles that nitric oxide plays in so many different critical areas of medicine–like inflammation (which is a factor in a host of diseases like asthma, liver disease, etc.), pain and cardiovascular therapy, it’s very exciting to hear that drug gian Pfizer has committed to a partnership with emerging French NicOx that’s working on developing safer, more effective nitric-oxide-donating drugs. NicOx will synthesize nitric compounds that will be evaluated in preclinical screening and characterization tests. Once that’s finished, Pfizer will choose certain products to support for further development and global commercialization.

Pfizer says it’s going to continue to look for collaboration opportunities. This may be a good omen for those struggling to get started–or those just struggling–in the bioscience industry.