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)
