[July 26, 2016] |
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X-Chem and AbbVie Enter into Multi-Target Drug Discovery Partnership
X-Chem, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company applying its
cutting-edge lead discovery capabilities to the generation of novel
small molecule therapeutics, today announced a multi-target drug
discovery agreement with AbbVie. The collaboration is focused on the
discovery and development of novel treatments for diseases in oncology
and immunology.
Under the terms of the agreement X-Chem will deploy its DNA-encoded
library discovery platform for the identification of novel
small-molecule inhibitors of both promising new targets as well as
validated targets that have been historically challenging to address.
AbbVie has an exclusive option to license active hits and leads
generated in the course of the collaboration and is responsible for all
further development and commercialization. Financial terms were not
disclosed.
"X-Chem's ongoing improvements to its platform have demonstrated further
increases in success in identifying small molecule hits and leads
against a broad range of difficult biological targets," stated Rick
Wagner, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of X-Chem. "We look forward to
applying our advanced drug discovery capabilities in collaboration with
the scientists at AbbVie, a leader in the development of drug treatments
in oncology and immunology."
About the DNA-Encoded X-Chem (DEX™) Library and Platform
Due to the size and diversity of the DEXTM library, X-Chem
can discover multiple series of novel, potent and selective lead
compounds at an unprecedented rate of success against a wide range of
targets, including some that previously ailed using conventional
screening methods. A number of proprietary innovations in library
design, screening methodology and bioinformatics underlie the
exceptional performance of the DEXTM platform. In particular,
X-Chem's approach to library construction allows for additional chemical
reactions to become useable in DNA-encoded library synthesis. Together,
these developments result in a much greater repertoire of diversity for
small molecules, which cover a range of categories including fragment
molecules, small molecular weight heterocyclic compounds, and
macrocyclic structures. This diverse library, combined with a heightened
ability to detect active molecules, has yielded a robust process that
has been highly successful against targets categorized as difficult or
intractable.
About DNA-Encoding
The X-Chem drug discovery engine is based on a library, currently in
excess of 120 billion compounds and growing, generated by iterative
combinatorial synthesis of small molecules tethered to DNA tags that
record the synthetic history of the small molecule. Every small molecule
in the library has a unique DNA barcode attached it. The library is
screened as a mixture using affinity-based binding to a target of
interest. Certain rare molecules in the library that bind to the target
can be "fished out," while the rest of the molecules are washed away.
DNA sequencing methods are then used to detect molecules that are
enriched when bound to the target. The diverse nature of the library
produces multiple families or clusters of related molecules that bind to
the target, forming a basis for emergent structure-activity
relationships. Structure-activity relationships are typically used by
medicinal chemists to guide iterative chemical maturation of a molecule
into a drug. Based on the synthetic history encoded in the DNA sequence
information, molecules are then made without the DNA tag (News - Alert) attached, and
tested for activity in conventional assays.
About X-Chem
X-Chem, Inc. is a privately-owned biotechnology company based in
Waltham, Mass. The company's mission is to apply its powerful product
engine to the discovery of small molecule compounds against high-value
therapeutic targets. X-Chem has established partnerships with Roche,
AstraZeneca, Bayer, Pfizer, Alexion, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Sanofi,
Janssen, and several other leading pharmaceutical companies,
biotechnology organizations, and academic centers. For further
information on X-Chem, please visit: http://www.x-chemrx.com/.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160726005466/en/
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