New Fragment-based Drug Discovery Platform Announced between IOTA and Beactica

Two fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) companies have announced a new commercial alliance. IOTA Pharmaceuticals Ltd, based in Cambridge, UK, and Beactica AB, based in Uppsala, Sweden, will join forces to deploy a proprietary FBDD-based lead discovery and optimization platform.

The IOTA-Beactica platform couples site-directed FBDD libraries to fragment and lead screening using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor technology, enabling progression of new discovery programs from concept to optimized lead.

Based on determination of ligand-target interaction information, and using a combination of fragment-based drug screening and medicinal chemistry-led design approaches, applicable to a wide range of new targets, the platform will initially focus on the development of new classes of kinase inhibitors. The reagents, tools and technologies developed by the two companies will be commercialized through drug discovery partnerships with pharmaceutical companies active in the kinase area.

Dr Per Kallblad, CEO of Beactica, said, "We are delighted to work with IOTA to expand our existing drug discovery platform. The combination of IOTA's proprietary FBDD engine with Beactica's SPR screening technology will be an excellent way to pursue the discovery and optimization of new kinase inhibitors."

Dr David Bailey, heading IOTA, commented, "Fragment-based drug discovery is a fast, efficient and productive route to NCE discovery. Our combined technologies offer a comprehensive lead discovery solution to our pharma partners."