December 2008
Axxam awarded substantial funding by the Regione Lombardia (Metadistretti) to support an innovative drug discovery project
Axxam announced that a consortium led by Axxam spa has been awarded a grant of EUR 1 million from the Regione Lombardia (Metadistretti) towards a EUR 2.5 million R&D program aimed at identifying and developing innovative Nav 1.7 sodium channel blockers for the treatment of pain.
This specific grant is intended to accelerate the development of innovative technologies and products in the local non-food biotechnology cluster (metadistretto). Funds are awarded on the basis of the scientific, technical and economic merit of each proposal. Axxam has applied for funding in order to finance an internal research program aimed at developing new approaches for the identification of drug candidates, based on its proprietary HTS technologies for lead identification.
The grant is non-refundable and will cover R&D expenses over a 36 month period. Axxam's partners in the consortium are Newron Pharmaceuticals spa, a research and development company focused on novel CNS and pain therapies, and Primm srl, a service company focused on several technology platforms, as well as academic groups at the University of Milan Bicocca.
Axxam spa, as Project coordinator, will provide its ion channel drug discovery platform, including target expression, proprietary HTS technologies and screening libraries. Newron spa will contribute with its expertise in sodium channel electrophysiology and pain pharmacology, whereas Primm srl will provide its specific expertise in protein expression and peptide chemistry.
This substantial financing from the Regione Lombardia provides important support to Axxam's internal research programmes and business strategy.
October 2008
Axxam announces the acquisition of molecular screening technologies and related intellectual property rights from Bayer HealthCare AG
Axxam, a leading science-driven biotechnology company which provides early-stage discovery research for the life science industry, has signed an agreement for the acquisition of molecular screening technologies and related patent rights from Bayer HealthCare AG.
The Bayer technologies covered in this agreement involve reporter gene applications and related technologies including:
- a novel photoprotein for Ca2+ mobilisation assays
- a novel secreted luciferase for reporter gene applications
- a real time non-invasive luminescence-based cAMP detection method
This agreement will enhance Axxam’s growing molecular screening technologies patent portfolio. In particular, Axxam seeks patent protection to cover discoveries which include new Ca2+ activated photoproteins with improved light generation, innovative reporter gene systems and novel Green Fluorescence Proteins (GFPs), as well as new applications in the field of embryonic stem cell research that stably express reporter genes, such as photoproteins and transgenic animals capable of expressing the photoproteins in
vivo.
These proprietary technologies will further strengthen Axxam’s position as a premier discovery partner for the life science industry.
July 2008
Genedata and Axxam Announce High Throughput Screening Data Analysis Collaboration
Genedata, the leading provider of in silico solutions for the pharmaceutical and life science industries, and Axxam, a leading biotechnology research organization offering early-stage discovery research services for the life science industry, have signed a multi-year contract for the implementation of the Genedata Screener® data analysis and management platform into Axxam's high throughput screening process.
With an increasing number of pharma and life science companies outsourcing entire stages of their research cycle, the contributions of contract research organizations (CROs) to drug development have never been more crucial. Faster development, earlier decisions on project failures, and higher approval success rates are becoming the norm. To continuously meet those high standards, Axxam relies on Genedata Screener. Screener's high-quality, high-performance modular system rapidly and flexibly analyzes, integrates and manages all assay data and then combines it with chemical, pharmacological and in
vivo information to support Axxam scientists in prioritizing compounds and identifying quality lead structures with the highest confidence. Screener's open and scalable architecture integrates with existing infrastructures, which allows it to be tailored to specific discovery processes, maximizing value.
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