Servier and NiKem Research Srl Enter into a Discovery Research Service Agreement

Servier and NiKem Research Srl have announced the signature of a Discovery Research Service Agreement. Under the terms of the agreement NiKem will, in the next 12 months, use its medicinal chemistry experience, and its iterative and parallel chemistry platform, to design and synthesize drug-like kinase inhibitors aimed towards specific, undisclosed targets of interest for Servier. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Emmanuel Canet, Head of Research of Servier, said “We are pleased to start this collaboration with NiKem Research which will boost our research efforts in fields identified as crucial for the future of our company.

“We are confident that NiKem expertise in medicinal chemistry and parallel synthesis will allow us to identify quickly a compound satisfying all the requisites needed to transform a lead molecule into a drug candidate,” Canet continued.

Giuseppe Giardina, CEO of NiKem Research, said "We believe that a partnership with Servier will allow us to use at best our extensive competence and tools for the discovery and optimization of potent, selective and drug-like candidates.

In fact, we were impressed since the start of our discussion with Servier by the knowledge of the pharmaceutical market of their representatives; by the motivation and the competence of their scientists; and by the team-oriented attitude shown in both the scientific and the business meetings. These features are also key descriptors of NiKem, and in our opinion this ensures a high probability of success to the collaboration.”