Horizon Discovery Group plc, a global leader in the application of gene editing and gene modulation technologies, announces that it has entered into an exclusive target discovery partnership with C4X Discovery Holdings plc, a pioneering drug discovery company, to validate targets and develop next-generation oncology drugs.
The partnership aims to validate the novel synthetic lethal oncology targets that Horizon has identified using its cutting-edge CRISPR-Cas9 technology, with C4XD then using its proprietary 4D shape-based chemistry technology (Conformetrix) to discover pre-clinical drug candidates. The partnership has been formed to deliver potential new drugs for patients with limited effective treatments such as colorectal and lung cancer.
C4XD will fund the work plan and should C4XD discover pre-clinical drug candidates directed against these novel, synthetic lethality targets, it intends to out-license them to clinical development partners, with Horizon receiving an undisclosed share of revenue received by C4XD.
Dr Craig Fox, Chief Scientific Officer of C4XD, said: “PARP inhibitors are transforming the treatment of ovarian cancer, particularly in patients with BRCA mutations and so identifying the next generation of synthetic lethality drug targets is a key priority to develop new therapies for cancer patients who are not responsive to current treatments. This partnership with Horizon gives C4XD access to a comprehensive proprietary CRISPR screening dataset that has selected the most promising novel drug targets in colon and lung cancer. We look forward to working with the highly experienced team at Horizon to complete the target validation package for these novel genes and initiate drug discovery programmes to generate high value pre-clinical licensable assets for partnering.”
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