Pharmagene and Argenta Discovery have announced an agreement to identify new chemical entities to interact with a 7-TM receptor target to develop migraine treatment candidates
Pharmagene has generated proprietary data which indicates that antagonists at the 7-TM receptor should prove efficacious in the treatment of migraine.
Under the terms of this agreement, Argenta will use its CADD expertise and medicinal chemistry experience to acquire and synthesise up to 1000 compounds as a rationally designed, hit-finding exercise for screening.
Using assays developed at Pharmagene, Argenta will also support the requisite biochemical assay and counter screens to establish the potency and selectivity profiles of active compounds.
Argenta's CEO, Anthony Baxter, said: "We are very pleased to commence this collaboration with Pharmagene, which is a highly respected research company with powerful target identification and validation capabilities based on its unique, ethical use of human tissues.
We sincerely hope that success with this project will enable Pharmagene and Argenta to extend their collaborative research efforts in the future." Pharmagene CEO Alastair Riddell, commented: "The relationship with Argenta is a natural progression to developing hit and lead compounds to Pharmagene's proprietary targets.
This agreement forms part of our continued plan to develop the Pharmagene Therapeutics business."