Modified mice could speed safe drug discoveries
pharmafile | October 27, 2006 | News story | Research and Development |
CXR Biosciences, based in Scotland, and Artemis Pharmaceuticals in Germany, have been granted licences to sell their genetically modified mice, which can predict the effects that drug compounds will have on humans.
The modified mice, which are bred to contain human genetic material, will eliminate some of the species differences that currently result in variable drug effects between ordinary mice and humans, and are regarded as highly relevant in pre-clinical trials.
Government-funded ITI Life Sciences has granted the two commercial licences in Europe and Japan to the companies, and.the mice model is expected to be sold to pharmaceutical and biotech firms and ITI will receive royalties. The global market for metabolism and toxicity testing is estimated to be currently worth $3 billion a year
Pre-clinical trials are a known and crucial industry bottleneck, with many potential drugs falling at the first hurdle, due to inadequate drug testing techniques. The licensed mouse models display certain key aspects of human drug metabolism, which allow important and predictive studies on drug transport, metabolism (ADMET) and gene regulation to be carried out in vivo. This means researchers can identify the beneficial or toxic effects of a chemical much more accurately.
Dr Paul Rounding, managing director of Artemis Pharmaceuticals, said: "Collaborations, such as these being initiated by ITI, are very important for the biotech industry, which is full of invention, but often lacking in funds."
He added: "Proper direction of these programmes towards ambitious but achievable goals not only will benefit all participants, but also provide new ways of improving the development of safe, new drugs"
Dr Eleanor Mitchell, ITI's acting chief executive said the partnership between CXR and Artemis had resulted in the very rapid development of this new technology. She anticipated that a number of similar commercial milestones would be reached over the coming year.
In July, CXR was the first winner of the UK Innovation Enabling Biotechnology Award, hosted by UK Trade & Investment and the business organisation, London First.
Dr Tom Shepherd, CXR's chief executive, commented: "This technology, along with others we expect to be developed, has the potential to transform the way new drugs are developed."
