Partner has developed drug discovery platform that rapidly identifies bioactive fragments whose function is locked within larger protein molecules, dubbed crypteins
Xantos Biomedicine has signed a collaboration agreement with Cryptome Pharmaceuticals.
Xantos has used XantoScreen technology to discover novel proteins that mediate proliferation of vascular endothelial cells, which potentially play a role in the formation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) of tumours.
Newly identified secreted proteins out of this screen have provided targets for inhibitory approaches aimed at depriving tumour cells from nutrients and oxygen.
Simultaneously, such proteins may also serve as leads for the promotion of the growth of new blood vessels.
Cryptome has developed the Cryptomics drug discovery platform that rapidly identifies bioactive fragments whose function is locked within larger protein molecules.
The company calls these fragments crypteins, and Cryptomics provides a high throughput means of finding them.
Crypteins have multiple advantages over small molecules and antibodies as therapeutic agents and Cryptome is building a pipeline of drug candidates based on its technology.
Cryptome will use Cryptomics to validate one of Xantos's valuable angiogenic therapeutic leads.
The financial terms of the agreement are not disclosed but involve cash and milestone payments to CRP.
Intellectual property rights for new therapeutic candidates will be assigned to Xantos.
"This contract with Xantos is particularly significant commercially.
"Not only does it provide the first upfront revenues from Cryptome's platform, but it also gives the company a financial interest in any products to emerge from the collaboration without further costs," said Professor Vadas, acting CEO of Cryptome.
Stephan Wehselau, CEO at Xantos Biomedicine said: "We are impressed of the Cryptomics screening process which will rapidly add value to our research.
"The outcome of the project will help us to identify the molecular mode of our angiogenic compound and will effectively support our development process.
"We are delighted to be collaborating with them".
Vic Ilag, chief scientific officer of Cryptome said, "We are very pleased to begin this collaboration with Xantos.
"The fit of the two companies is almost ideal from both the technological and commercial points of view.
"Both companies have state-of-the-art platform technologies and both have recognised the untapped therapeutic and commercial potential of protein therapeutics."
