Galapagos' service division BioFocus DPI will provide optimization services for a University of Bristol research program focusing on destroying cancer cells. The contract value for Galapagos will exceed E2 million in research fees over the two years.
Scientists at ProXara Biotechnology, a spin-out from the University of Bristol, have discovered drug-like compounds that prevent PKB activation and that make tumor cells commit suicide.
BioFocus DPI will apply its lead optimization expertise and its Admensa technology to help the University of Bristol team optimize these drug-like compounds and select a candidate for clinical trials.
All cells in the human body contain protein kinase B, a naturally occurring enzyme that, if active, prevents cells from committing suicide. Programmed cell death, or apoptosis, is an important process in the body's development but, when this process goes wrong, unregulated cell growth occurs, leading to the development of tumors.