MILAN, ITALY / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2017 / Axxam S.p.A today announced the start of a research collaboration with Sanofi designed to further optimize a number of lead series of small molecules targeted against a range of diseases of the central nervous system (CNS).
The program, initiated at Axxam via a High Throughput Screen (HTS) of the Axxam small molecule screening library, yielded a number of tractable hit series. Subsequent multi-parameter optimization identified potent and selective molecules with high CNS exposures and showed promising results in disease-relevant pharmacology models.
Following an initial evaluation phase in-house, Sanofi and Axxam will continue the program under a joint research agreement with activities to be carried out at Axxam and Sanofi research facilities. If successful, Sanofi has an option to enter into a subsequent licensing agreement based on the research.
The exact pharmacological target and financial terms of this agreement with Sanofi were not disclosed.
Axxam is engaged in a range of collaborative research initiatives with leading biotechnology, pharmaceutical and translational research laboratories with a focus on identifying molecules with the potential to treat a wide range of central nervous system disorders. This collaboration further validates the strength of Axxam's platform to generate high quality leads for small molecule drug discovery.
The Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation provided partial funding of Axxam's prior work on this program.
Dr. Russell Thomas, Director of Discovery Research at Axxam said, "We are excited to open this latest chapter of our interactions with Sanofi. During the initial evaluation of our compounds in their laboratories, we were impressed by the deep understanding of the target and its potential in addressing a broad range of neurodegenerative disorders with significant unmet medical needs. In addition, we have been extremely pleased by the collaborative spirit at Sanofi and look forward to working together to advance this initiative. We are confident that this collaboration offers both companies a unique opportunity to share knowledge, assets, and results and to accelerate compounds into the clinic."
About Axxam S.p.A
Axxam is an innovative Partner Research Organization (iPRO). We are a leading provider of integrated discovery services across Life Sciences industries including pharmaceuticals, crop protection, animal health, cosmetics, fragrances, food and beverages. We have consolidated expertise across a broad range of discovery disciplines and innovative technologies including assay development, high-throughput screening of both the Axxam high-quality compound collections (synthetic and natural) or those provided by our clients, compound management, hit identification and hit validation. Our performance-driven approach has been recognized by our clients as key to the success for their discovery programs.
In recent years, Axxam has received invaluable financial and scientific support from the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF), which is the only philanthropy solely focused on accelerating the development of drugs to prevent and treat Alzheimer's disease. To learn more about the ADDF, visit www.alzdiscovery.org.
Axxam is also engaged in alliance-based research towards innovative small molecule therapies for diseases with a high unmet medical need. Axxam's business terms are flexible, ranging from fee-for-service to risk-sharing deal structures. For more information please visit www.axxam.com.
Axxam Contact
Sabrina Corazza
sabrina.corazza.sc@axxam.com
+39 02 2105634
SOURCE: Axxam S.p.A