DGAP-News: Press Release: 4SC Discovery, AiCuris and CRELUX announce drug discovery collaboration
(firmenpresse) - DGAP-News: 4SC AG / Key word(s): Alliance/Miscellaneous
Press Release: 4SC Discovery, AiCuris and CRELUX announce drug
discovery collaboration
04.11.2013 / 07:30
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Press Release
AiCuris, 4SC Discovery and CRELUX announce drug discovery collaboration
AiCuris will use the high quality integrated drug discovery platform i2c of
CRELUX and 4SC Discovery to identify novel therapeutics for infectious
diseases
Planegg-Martinsried and Wuppertal, Germany, 4 November 2013 - 4SC AG
(Frankfurt, Prime Standard: VSC), a discovery and development company of
targeted small molecule drugs mainly focusing on cancer and autoimmune
diseases, today announced that 4SC Discovery GmbH, CRELUX GmbH and AiCuris
GmbH&Co. KG have started a drug discovery collaboration to identify and
validate novel small molecule compounds targeting pathogen-specific
interactions in infectious diseases. The collaboration is a further proof
for the innovative capacity and the high quality standard of the joint
integrated drug discovery platform i2c ('idea-to-candidate'), operated by
4SC Discovery and CRELUX.
Based on i2c, CRELUX and 4SC Discovery will discover and optimize small
molecule compounds with the goal to deliver high quality drug candidates
for a novel anti-infectious therapeutic approach by AiCuris. A virtual
screening approach using 4SC's proprietary 4SCan(R) method will be
performed to identify various inhibitors to the therapeutic target.
Compounds identified as potential inhibitors of the respective target will
be verified by using both, established assays at AiCuris and the INTRACT in
vitro screening systems at CRELUX. In the course of the further discovery
process, protein structures of verified hits with the target will be solved
by i2c to enable rational design and guide the further chemical
optimization.
Prof. Helga Rübsamen-Schaeff, CEO of AiCuris comments: 'We are dedicated to
fill our early pipeline with highly innovative next generation drugs
against infectious diseases with high medical need and which are also
active against resistant pathogens. These may be derived from in house
research, from licensing or from collaborations.' Dr. Holger Zimmermann,
Managing Director and Chief Scientific Officer at AiCuris adds: 'Based on
our good experience in collaborating with 4SC we expect to identify soon
first promising hits for further evaluation in our screening cascades. This
collaboration is an important contribution to our in house research
efforts and supports our goal to discover highly efficacious drugs which
help to solve major problems in treating infectious diseases.'
Dr. Michael Schaeffer, Executive Director Strategy and Business of CRELUX
GmbH, comments: 'This collaboration is a further proof of the value i2c
brings to its clients' drug discovery programmes. With Aicuris, we see a
perfect fit of ideas, technologies and know-how and are especially pleased
to have gained yet another innovative and reknowned biotech company from
Germany as a partner. With this partnership, CRELUX and 4SC Discovery
continue to build on their joint strategy to position themselves as premium
solution providers to the global pharma and biotech industry covering the
complete drug discovery value chain.'
Dr. Daniel Vitt, Managing Director of 4SC Discovery GmbH and Chief
Scientific Officer at 4SC AG, comments: 'The selection of i2c as drug
discovery platform for AiCuris is an important step in our strategy to
become Europe's leading partner for innovative and high quality drug
discovery projects. We are particularly delighted, since this new
collaboration is built on our long-term trustful relationship and former
successful collaborations between AiCuris and 4SC, now targeting next
generation high therapeutic needs in antiinfective drug discovery.'
The i2c platform operates on a seamlessly integrated suite of technologies
including virtual high throughput screening, molecular modelling, X-ray
crystallography, in vitro and cell based screening, medicinal chemistry and
pharmacology. CRELUX and 4SC Discovery are offering integrated drug
discovery solutions to clients from the pharmaceutical and biotechnology
industry covering the entire value chain of early-stage pharmaceutical
research and drug discovery.
Ends
About AiCuris (www.aicuris.com)
AiCuris GmbH&Co KG is a privately held biopharmaceutical company located
in Wuppertal, Germany and specializes in research and clinical development
of drugs against infectious diseases. Its portfolio comprises innovative
and resistance-breaking drugs against the Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV,
licensed to Merck&Co), Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV), Human Immunodeficiency
Virus (HIV) as well as against resistant Gram positive and Gram negative
bacterial infections in hospitals. Furthermore, two immune modulators
complement AiCuris' portfolio. One of these is directed against viral
hepatitis B and fibrosis, the other against autoimmune diseases. AiCuris
develops compounds up to phase II and offers these to partners for
licenses/collaborations and in-licenses innovative early stage projects in
addition to its in-house research.
About i2c drug discovery services (www.i2c-discovery.com)
The integrated drug discovery platform i2c (idea to candidate) was set up
with the mission to enable its partners to perform their work better,
faster, more efficiently and more successfully by providing a flexible,
expert team and leading discovery technologies. It offers a seamless
process from early concept through to a preclinical development candidate
ready to advance into formal animal model testing and thereafter into
clinical trials. The i2c partners are pharma companies looking to outsource
part of their early discovery projects and also small and mid-size biotech
companies lacking the relevant expertise and infrastructure. Besides the
standard fee-for-service offerings i2c also includes research
collaborations based on risk sharing models including milestones and
royalties. These collaborations are provided as tailor made solutions for
smaller sized companies and interested pharma partners.
4SC and CRELUX have a long and successful track record in the discovery and
development of novel drugs. Both partners are adding their synergistic
competencies to i2c. CRELUX is a leading company in advancing innovations
in protein production, crystallography and compound screening. Next to its
strong in silico screening and medicinal chemistry capacities, 4SC
Discovery adds to that a team of experienced pharmacologists that has
successfully brought a number of small molecule drugs from discovery to
clinical trials.
About CRELUX GmbH
CRELUX (www.crelux.com) specializes in tailor made protein, in-vitro
screening and protein crystallography drug discovery. The company is a
professional and dedicated contract research company for the global pharma
and biotech industry. CRELUX is privately owned and fully independent of
external shareholders which facilitate quick decision making and efficient
operations. The company is committed to long-term development and growth
based on its broad portfolio of drug discovery projects and technologies
that are seamlessly integrated into our i2c (idea to candidate) programs
which include target to hit and concept to early development candidate
projects.
CRELUX is a client focused discovery and research partner with a portfolio
of premium technologies and top level protein expertise. In PRIME PROTEIN
programs we are advancing innovations in protein expression to promote the
availability of high quality proteins for use in drug discovery and
diagnostics. Our XPRESS portfolio of readily available crystallographic
targets grants turn-around times within a few weeks. The XPERT
crystallography platform from concept to high resolution complex structure
as well as in vitro compound and fragment screening based on our unique
screening technology INTRACT are available under individual agreements.
About 4SC Discovery GmbH and 4SC Group
4SC Discovery GmbH (www.4sc-discovery.com), a wholly-owned subsidiary of
4SC AG, specialises in the early-stage research and discovery of novel
therapeutic compounds against cancer and autoimmune diseases. 4SC Discovery
engages in partnerships with pharmaceutical and biotech companies in order
to advance the development and commercialisation of its own therapeutic
programmes. In adition, as a drug discovery service provider 4SC Discovery
offers its expertise via research collaborations to companies from the
pharmaceutical and biotech industry. 4SC Group (www.4sc.com) focuses on the
discovery and clinical development of targeted small-molecule drugs for the
treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases in order to enhance patients'
quality of life. The company was founded in 1997 and has been listed on the
Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since December 2005.
Cautionary statement regarding forward-looking statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. Any
forward-looking statement applies only on the date of this press release.
By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to a number of
known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may or may not occur in the
future and as a result of which the actual results and performance may
differ substantially from the expected future results or performance
expressed or implied in the forward looking statements. No warranties or
representations are made as to the accuracy, achievement or reasonableness
of such statements, estimates or projections, and 4SC AG has no obligation
to update any such information or to correct any inaccuracies herein or
omission herefrom which may become apparent.
For more information on 4SC or 4SC Discovery please visit www.4sc.com and
www.4sc-discovery.com or contact:
4SC AG
Jochen Orlowski, Corporate Communications&Investor Relations
jochen.orlowski(at)4sc.com, Tel.: +49-89-7007-6366
MC Services
Raimund Gabriel,
raimund.gabriel(at)mc-services.eu, Tel.: +49-89-2102-2830
The Trout Group
Chad Rubin
crubin(at)troutgroup.com, Tel.: +1-646-378-2947
For more information on CRELUX and i2c please visit www.crelux.com or
contact:
CRELUX GmbH
Dr. Michael Schaeffer, Executive Director Strategy&Business
schaeffer(at)crelux.com, Tel.: +49-89-7007-60-170
For more information about AiCuris please visit www.aicuris.com or contact:
AiCuris GmbH&Co. KG
Katja Woestenhemke
business(at)aicuris.com, Tel.: +49 202 317 63 0
End of Corporate News
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Language: English
Company: 4SC AG
Am Klopferspitz 19a
82152 Martinsried
Germany
Phone: +49 (0)89 7007 63-0
Fax: +49 (0)89 7007 63-29
E-mail: public(at)4sc.comInternet: www.4sc.de
ISIN: DE0005753818
WKN: 575381
Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard);
Freiverkehr in Berlin, Düsseldorf, München, Stuttgart
End of News DGAP News-Service
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