Astex extends research collaboration with Aventis
Cambridge, UK. Astex Technology, the fragment-based drug discovery and development company, announced that it has extended its existing structural biology research agreement with Aventis in the area of cytochrome P450s. Under the terms of the extension, Aventis has agreed that Astex will continue to supply Aventis with its proprietary crystal structures of human drug-metabolising cytochrome P450s. The original research agreement was signed in March 2002. Financial details were not disclosed.
"We are very pleased to be extending our existing collaboration with Aventis," said Tim Haines, Astex's Chief Executive. "The considerable successes we have achieved in the last four years including solving the first crystal structures of human cytochrome P450s, reflects Astex's pioneering expertise in the use of high throughput X-ray crystallography."
Astex has achieved two major scientific breakthroughs in solving the first human cytochrome P450 structures - 2C9 and 3A4 - key members of this important family of drug metabolising enzymes. Astex scientists published the crystal structure of human P450 2C9 last year in the leading science journal Nature. Astex's proprietary P450 structural information enables the company and its collaborators to generate lead compounds with optimal DMPK properties and so reduce attrition rates in drug development.
In July 2003, Astex extended its research collaboration for its P450 programme with AstraZeneca. In addition, Astex has on-going P450 research collaborations with Mitsubishi Pharma and Fujisawa Pharma.
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