DOV Pharmaceutical


DOV Pharmaceutical was a biotechnology company that focused on therapies primarily for central nervous system conditions. It was founded in 1995 by former employees of American Cyanamid, and in 1998 it in-licensed drugs discovered at American Cyanamid for further development. It held an IPO on NASDQ in 2002, and its shares plunged days later after negative details about a past relationship between Élan and DOV emerged.
Phil Skolnick served as CSO from 2001 to 2009. Euthymics had been founded by Anthony McKinney and Frank Bymaster, a chemist who had worked at Eli Lilly on discovery and development of Prozac, Cymbalta, and Symbyax; the company was funded with $24 million from Novartis Venture Funds among others.
After several failed clinical trials, in 2010 Dov was acquired by Euthymics Bioscience which intended to continue development of Dov's antidepressant, amitifadine.
Its drug candidates included: