May 2012
Axxam SpA receives funding for the development of compounds for prevention and treatment of disability in Multiple Sclerosis
Axxam SpA andFast Forward LLC, a not-for-profit organization established by the U.S. National Multiple Sclerosis Society and Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, entered into an agreement to fund Axxam SpA research in multiple sclerosis (MS).
Under the terms of this agreement, Axxam will screen its extensive chemical library to develop small molecules that target the chloride intracellular channel 1 (CLIC1) expressed by activated microglia. This approach will provide the pharmacological tools for the validation of an innovative and attractive target belonging to the ion channel class, CLIC1, intended to modulate glial cell activity, which could form the basis for the development of new treatments for MS, as well as for other relevant neurodegenerative diseases.
The award from Fast Forward and Merck Serono provides Axxam SpA with funding over a period of 12 months, and is distributed from the Accelerating Commercial Development Fund, which is allocated to for-profit entities and is designed to accelerate the development of research discoveries into new or improved therapies for people with multiple sclerosis.
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March 2012
Axxam receives EUR 2.3 million grant from the Italian Ministry of Research to support innovative drug discovery programs
Axxam SpA, a privately owned contract research and discovery company, announced that the Italian Ministry of Research has supported a research consortium, by awarding a EUR 12.6 million grant in order to conduct innovative drug discovery programs. This research consortium is composed by several companies and leading research institutions bringing together complementary skills and know-how for drug discovery. At Axxam, discovery research is an integral part of the business strategy as it ensures the future generation of pre-clinical candidates for its pipeline. Working closely with research institutions and other companies is an important part of this process as it helps Axxam to remain at the forefront of new research and drives the innovation required to develop in the future more effective medicines for patients.
Axxam will receive EUR 2.3 million which represents an important first milestone to provide the company with a sustainable financing for the development of its proprietary pipeline. These funds will be used for supporting innovative discovery programs at the lead generation phase where an intense contribution of medicinal chemistry and pharmacology is required.
February 2012
Axxam enhances its screening capacity with the acquisition of QPatch 16X
Axxam, a leading contract research and discovery company for the life science industry, announces that it has further enhanced its screening capacity on ion channels with the acquisition of the QPatch 16X instrument, an automated patch-clamp device developed by Sophion (Denmark). This device allows fully automated, highly reliable and stable measurement of both voltage- and ligand-gated ion channels through gigaseal quality recordings.
“Increasing the already existing capacity to screen for compounds active on ion channels is a natural evolution for us” said Stefan Lohmer, CEO of Axxam. “Our company, which just celebrated its 10th anniversary, has a rich history of successful collaborative research programs in the field of ion channels. The increasing requests of our existing customers and the wish to accommodate future collaborators’ needs, lead us to acquire the QPatch 16X“.
Axxam is therefore now able to offer a comprehensive range of services that covers all the needs a partner would require, from the high throughput screening on the ion channel target of interest, to the inter-family selectivity. Also, cardiac liability tests are available to our clients, with particular attention to the in vitro hERG testing which is a critical step for both the clinical development and the approval by regulatory Agencies of a drug candidate (ICH guideline S7B).
The QPatch 16X is now fully operating in Axxam’s new facilities in Bresso (Milan), with ongoing screening for already existing projects thanks also to the high-qualified technical assistance provided by Sophion as well as by the on-site collaboration and supervision of Dr. Jean-Francois Rolland, a recognized expert in automated patch-clamp.
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