AstraZeneca, Novo and Enlight sign collaborative research deal
pharmafile | December 20, 2011 | News story | Research and Development, Sales and Marketing | AstraZeneca, Enlight, Novo Nordisk
AstraZeneca and Novo Nordisk have linked up with a US biosciences firm in a bid to enhance their R&D operations.
Boston-based Enlight Biosciences was set up in 2008 as an entrepreneurial partnership with pharma firms and academics, with a remit to sift through technology opportunities in various disease areas and decide which might be taken further.
The company, whose scientific advisory board is led by Nobel Laureate Dr H. Robert Horvitz, takes ideas from academic laboratories and start-ups, as well as generating its own.
Molecular imaging, biologics, drug formulation and delivery methods, novel chemistries and production technologies, biomarkers and drug safety are among Enlight’s areas of interest.
AstraZeneca – with its biologics arm MedImmune – and Novo Nordisk will therefore have access to technology and ideas that could have applications for their own therapeutic programmes.
Talking about the new deal, Novo Nordisk was quick to highlight its interest in protein engineering and expression, formulation and delivery.
Enlight’s chief executive Michelle Browner said the two companies would become part of the “rich dialogue between our network of scientific and clinical experts together with our pharmaceutical partners”.
Menelas Pangalos, AstraZeneca’s executive vice president of innovative medicines, said the company would “collaborate with our peers and contribute to the development of tools that will fundamentally enhance R&D across the industry”.
“Through our participation in Enlight, we will be able to actively support the advancement of innovative ideas while proactively addressing the needs of our expanding global R&D organisation,” added Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, Novo Nordisk executive vice president.
Enlight has already formed two companies: the first, Entrega, is developing a proprietary delivery technology to allow oral administration of proteins, peptides and difficult-to-deliver small molecules.
The second, Endra, has commercialised an imaging technology that combines optical imaging with ultrasound to enable advanced live animal imaging for preclinical research.
Adam Hill
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