NEW YORK, Sept. 24 – The Genetics Company and Discovery Partners have partnered to identify potential drug targets for colon cancer, the companies said on Monday.
Discovery Partners, of San Diego, will screen thousands of chemical compounds for their ability to inhibit a protein that The Genetics Company has in previous studies linked to colon cancer.
The agreement calls for The Genetics Company, of Zurich, Switzerland, to hold patent rights to any drug candidates that result from the research. In return, the company will pay Discovery Partners milestone payments and fees, including those for completed experiments and access to the substance libraries.
Further financial details were not disclosed.
The Genetics Company, which is privately held, uses its mouse and fruit fly model systems in functional genomics to help discover new drug targets. In addition to colon cancer, the company hopes to develop therapeutic compounds for endocrine disorders, inflammatory conditions, tissue regeneration, parasites, and other cancers.
In May, Discovery Partners completed its $1.7 million acquisition of Xenometrix , a Colorado-based developer of assays for screening drug candidates.