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news.US-based biotechnology firm Tetragenetics will enter into collaboration with AstraZeneca's global biologics research and development arm MedImmune, on multi-target ion channel drug discovery program.
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Under the deal, Tetragenetics will use its ion channel production technology, SionX, to produce about five ion channel antigens for MedImmune’s antibody drug discovery programs.
The company said that the use of Tetragenetics’ technology to produce ion channel antigens will complement its focus on antibody drug discovery, helping to develop new therapeutics targeting unmet medical needs.
MedImmune Research & Development vice-president and Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering global head Herren Wu said: "Ion channels represent a diverse family of proteins, which have significant linkage to disease.
"Isolating functional antibodies against these ion channel targets opens the possibility of developing therapeutic antibodies against this important target class, particularly when combining MedImmune’s antibody discovery capabilities to the technology.
"We anticipate this will provide an important opportunity to develop new therapeutics to treat human diseases."
As part of the collaboration, MedImmune will be provided with target ion channel antigens on a non-exclusive basis, while Tetragenetics will receive up-front license fees, research funding, and milestone payments associated with pre-clinical and clinical development as well as potential product sales.