Activiomics Ltd, London-headquartered privately owned spin-out company from the Barts Cancer Institute (BCI), has signed a research agreement with the Japanese research-based life sciences company - Kyowa Hakko Kirin. Under this agreement, Activiomics will apply its novel TIQUAS phosphoproteomics platform to elucidate signalling mechanisms of lead compounds in relevant cell-based systems. This agreement was signed as part of Activiomics’ recently announced strategic partnership with BioFocus.
BioFocus provides integrated drug discovery that delivers pre-clinical drug candidates in all therapeutic areas with strong capability in neurodegenerative diseases, inflammatory diseases and with a growing track record of delivering candidates against rare and neglected diseases. BioFocus has advanced and comprehensive drug discovery capabilities that are applied to client projects to deliver targets, hits, leads and candidate pre-clinical drugs. The company employs over 200 exceptionally qualified and industry experienced scientists at its research centers in the UK and the Netherlands.
Activiomics partners with pharma and biotech using its innovative mass spectrometry based methods to analyse and interpret cell signalling pathway activity, generating high value information for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry.
“We’ve engaged with Activiomics because we recognise that Activiomics’ label free phosphoproteomics approach can provide unique insights into signalling pathway activity, information that can complement and extend our existing gene expression datasets. This technology will enable us to better understand cell signalling mechanisms of our lead compounds and could enable us to identify important biomarkers” said Etsuo Ohshima, managing officer and vice president, head, research division at Kyowa Hakko Kirin.
Dr Neil Torbett, COO of Activiomics, said: “We are delighted to have signed this agreement with Kyowa Hakko Kirin. This is a further endorsement of our technology platform and also represents Activiomics’ first entry into the Japanese market. Activiomics has received invaluable support from BioFocus in establishing this collaboration, a clear demonstration of our strategic partnership in action”.
Dr Chris Newton, MD of BioFocus, commented “BioFocus is pleased to have participated in the signing of this deal, which we intend to be the first of many. Future deals will add together BioFocus’ drug discovery capabilities and Activiomics’ phosphoproteomics platform for the furtherance of our clients’ projects
Activiomics Ltd. is a one of the top five cancer research centres in the UK and a Queen Mary University of London campus. The company was founded in 2009 through investment from a number of sources including IP Group.
Activiomics has developed a groundbreaking patented technology that will enable a transformation in the way in which biomarkers are identified, diagnostics are developed and drug candidates are identified and profiled.
Activiomics' technology centres around novel mass spectrometry based approaches for the global quantitative analysis of phosphorylation sites. Phosphorylation is a critical mediator in all cellular processes and hence sites of phosphorylation represent an important class of novel biomarkers. Activiomics' TIQUAS (Targeted In-depth QUAntification of cell Signalling) technology enables the quantification of thousands of phosphorylation events from a given cell or tissue sample and the subsequent markers of response that are identified will enable the development of future diagnostics.
Activiomics is using exclusively accessed primary breast cancer samples to generate proof-of-concept data and high value data packages for novel predictive and prognostic markers of disease. Additionally, Activiomics commercializes its technology by partnering directly with large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in bespoke programmes of work. Recent partners include Genentech, UCB and GSK.