Atugen will contribute its target discovery and in-vivo screening know-how while drug design, medicinal chemistry and in-vitro screening expertise will be provided by Asinex.
The novel kinase target PKN3, discovered by Atugen, is required for malignant prostate cell growth downstream of activated PI 3-kinase. Asinex will establish assays for bioscreening at its facilities in Moscow, Russia and design and select potential hit compounds that will be screened and optimized.
The ultimate aim is to find novel compounds that are useful for therapeutic intervention in cancer.
The drug discovery collaboration will be performed on a shared risk basis and future revenues will be equally divided between the two companies.
Atugen is currently pursuing a program to develop siRNA therapeutics to treat advanced cancer and plans to begin clinical development later this year. The company has proprietary siRNA molecules and uses a novel, patented delivery mechanism.