According to BioSeek, under the collaboration, it will, over the next year, both carry out broad-based profiling of selected UCB new chemical and biological entities, and guide lead optimization of a specific phenotypic hit previously identified by UCB and further characterized in BioMAP screens.
According to the terms of the agreement, BioSeek will receive various payments from UCB, including an upfront technology license fee, research funding, and preclinical and clinical milestone payments based on candidate advancement enabled by the BioMAP platform.
BioMAP Systems are primary cell-based models of human disease biology, designed to replicate the intricate cell and pathway interactions as they are observed in vascular inflammation, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, fibrosis and related clinical indications. Assessment with BioMAP provides early insight into human pharmacological properties of compounds, including on- and off-target effects, dose responses, and the discrimination of closely related compounds, said BioSeek.
Michael Venuti, CEO of BioSeek, said: Our 2007 collaboration identified specific areas of high interest to UCB where the BioMAP platform could be productively applied to UCB projects, and those form the basis of the new agreement encompassing two major programs in bioactive annotation and lead optimization. The success of this collaboration demonstrates the broad utility of our BioMAP platform of predictive human biology screens to enhance and accelerate drug discovery.