Panacea Pharma Expands MIT Antibody Collaboration
Panacea Pharmaceuticals announced this week that it had extended and expanded its collaboration with MIT to develop all-human, ultra-affinity, single-chain antibodies for the company’s oncology program. Panacea, which began the collaboration in 2000, will continue to fund research there for up to three additional years, and now has an option for exclusive worldwide commercialization rights for any antibodies developed. MIT’s technology utilizes a yeast surface display method for engineering antibodies of high affinity.
Eksigent Gets $2M from NIST for Multiplexed Chip Chromatography
Eksigent Technologies announced this week that it has been awarded a $2 million grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Advanced Technology Program. The grant will fund development of Eksigent’s HPLC-based ChipLC system. The system allows for miniature multiplexed chemical analysis on a chip. Eksigent hopes to commercialize the chip for proteomics, drug discovery, and other applications during the three-year span of the grant.
Inpharmatica Signs Deal with British Biotech
Inpharmatica announced this week that it had signed a two-year deal with British Biotech for absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion services for drug discovery. According to the agreement, Inpharma-tica will provide assays, analysis, and interpretation of ADME data for British Biotech. ADME studies are an important component of the lead optimization process.
“We have selected Inpharmatica to support our lead optimization activities because they have a proven ability to assist the effective progression of a number of our discovery and lead optimization programs,” David Knowles, research and development director of British Biotech, said in a statement.