Episentec (Solna, Sweden) and AstraZeneca (Mölndal, Sweden) have signed a research collaboration agreement regarding the development and implementation of improved methodology for early screening of potential new drug molecules. The research project, aimed at an undisclosed drug target protein, will be utilizing the proprietary Label-Enhanced SPR biosensor technology of Episentec. Under the terms of the agreement, AstraZeneca will supply target protein and small molecules for screening, while Episentec will develop and implement new SPR-based screening methodologies. The goal of the project is to develop cost-efficient screening methods with higher sensitivity, higher specificity, and higher throughput than what is possible using today’s state-of-the-art technologies.
Anders Hanning, CEO of Episentec, comments: “We are very happy to get this opportunity to cooperate with AstraZeneca. We really believe that our Label-Enhanced SPR technology has the potential to take today’s SPR-based screening methods to a new level of performance.”
Stefan Geschwindner, Principal Scientist at AstraZeneca, adds: “Entering this collaboration with Episentec will bring us in a position to significantly expand the current application areas of SPR-based drug screening. Having found an experienced partner in that area makes us feel confident in achieving the goals of this collaboration, for the benefit of enabling unprecedented screening approaches as well as unlocking difficult target classes in the near future.”
For further information please contact:
Anders Hanning, CEO, Episentec anders.hanning@episentec.com +46 70 225 99 96
Stefan Geschwindner, Principal Scientist, Discovery Sciences, AstraZeneca R&D Mölndal stefan.geschwindner@astrazeneca.com +46 31 776 2197
About SPR-based drug screening: SPR (Surface Plasmon Resonance) is an optical biosensor method that is commonly used in the screening of potential new drug molecules. SPR is used to detect which molecules that bind to and interact with a specific disease target, usually a protein. SPR drug screening was pioneered by the Swedish company Biacore™, now part of GE Healthcare.
About Episentec: Episentec is a Swedish biotech company established in 2010 by scientists with a comprehensive experience in the development and application of biosensors. The aim of the company is to develop add-on tools that boost the performance of optical biosensor instruments. Episentec’s proprietary concept “Label-Enhanced SPR” substantially improves the performance of SPR-based biosensor instruments and expands their breadth of application. The company markets the Episentec™ range of dye reagents and EpiGrammer™ software for data evaluation, and also offers services for dye labelling of biomolecules and biosensor method development. For more information please visit: www.episentec.com
About AstraZeneca: AstraZeneca is a global, innovation-driven biopharmaceutical business that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines, primarily for the treatment of cardiovascular, metabolic, respiratory, inflammation, autoimmune, oncology, infection and neuroscience diseases. AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. For more information please visit: www.astrazeneca.com