Johnson Matthey and Domainex link up to enhance discovery and development services

Johnson Matthey is to work with Domainex to provide integrated small molecule pharmaceutical discovery and development services. The focus will be on providing academic institutions, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies with simplified and reduced risk target-to-lead identification, optimisation, safety/toxicology, pre-clinical and clinical API supply services.

Cambridge-based Domainex provides small molecule drug discovery services that complement the pre-clinical to commercial services provided by Johnson Matthey Fine Chemicals’ Custom Pharma Solutions offering in Europe. Through an integrated offering co-located in the Cambridge region, customers will be able to access Domainex’s target-to-lead identification and optimisation capabilities, and will then be able to transfer their projects directly to Johnson Matthey, using its Pharmorphix solid state services for effective salt form and polymorph identification through to process development, scale-up and non-GMP toxicology manufacture.

With all activities co-located in the Cambridge area, discovery and development time and risk can be minimised, the firms said.

'Johnson Matthey and Domainex have together recognised there is customer demand for simplified and effective drug discovery and development services. With our combined expertise and facilities based in Cambridge, UK, we are now able to offer customers significant value through this joint service offering,' said Antoine Bordet, European Managing Director at Johnson Matthey Fine Chemicals.

'The transition from drug discovery and candidate nomination into polymorph screening, pre-clinical toxicology and Phase I clinical development is a critical phase in the drug development process,' added Tom Mander, COO of Domainex.