NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – KineMed today announced the renewal of its non-exclusive research collaboration with Pfizer.
The deal was originally forged a year ago and seeks to develop new approaches to specific metabolic diseases, in particular type 2 diabetes. Under the agreement, KineMed's dynamic proteomics technology platform will be used to map the impact of potential drug candidates, the Emeryville, Calif.-based company said.
KineMed's technology uses wide-scale isotopic labeling and mass spectrometry to track protein activity kinetics, which can elucidate biological pathways and disease processes.
Citing statistics from the World Health Organization, KineMed said that diabetes affects about 347 million people worldwide. In the US, about 25 percent of the 65-and-over population is affected by type 2 diabetes. Despite extensive research into the disease, more than 60 percent of patients do not respond to current therapies, necessitating new approaches "to address fundamental metabolic processes," KineMed said.
Financial and other terms of the deal were not disclosed.