Actelion to strengthen research efforts
Swiss biopharmaceutical company Actelion, based near Basel, has signed a three-year collaborative agreement with US drug discovery company Discovery Partners International, of San Diego. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Swiss biopharmaceutical company Actelion, based near Basel, has signed a three-year collaborative agreement with US drug discovery company Discovery Partners International, of San Diego. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Several of Actelion's drug discovery projects are at an advanced stage. The projects, which are based on two molecular platforms (G-protein-coupled receptors and aspartyl proteases), are said to have the potential to satisfy important unmet medical needs in cardiovascular, cns and oncology indications. Actelion is in the process of adding new, early stage projects to its portfolio, which features three advanced projects in the areas of renin inhibition, beta-secretase (BACE) inhibition and orexin antagonism. Recently, the company started human testing of the first urotensin II receptor antagonist.
Riccardo Pigliucci, ceo of Discovery Partners International, said: 'Discovery Partners has established a critical mass of capabilities to support a number of Actelion's specific drug discovery needs. This collaboration provides Actelion with complementary resources and abilities, which can be utilised in a flexible manner on multiple discovery programmes.'