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INTERVIEW-Pfizer begins work on drugs to treat autism

2009-07-10 18:26:11 GMT (Reuters)
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By Toni Clarke

BOSTON, July 10 (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc, the world's largest drugmaker, has begun developing treatments for autism, its head of research and development said on Friday.

The company has formed a new, 14-member research group, called the Autism Spectrum Disorders unit, that is based in Groton, Connecticut.

"We've always been interested in this area but we didn't have the targets," said Martin Mackay, Pfizer's president of global research and development, in an interview. "Now we do."

Drug targets are typically proteins linked with a disease, and while Mackay declined to identify the targets for competitive reasons, he said the research is still at a very early stage.

Autism is typically diagnosed in childhood and is characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication and a tendency towards unusual interests or behaviors.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, autism is the second most serious developmental disability after mental retardation. Studies have shown it affects between two and seven children in 1,000.

The unit, which was created in January by three Pfizer employees who have been personally touched by the condition, is part of Pfizer's neuroscience division. (Reporting by Toni Clarke, editing by Gerald E. McCormick)

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