Genstruct Inc., a knowledge-driven discovery company, announced that it will begin the second phase of a multi-phase agreement with GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK), to jointly investigate compound mechanisms in oncology and to identify biomarkers for patient stratification and drug response.

Under the agreement, GSK has paid an upfront fee pursuant to an agreement signed in 2005 and will continue to fund research projects for the term of the agreement. Additional financial terms were not disclosed.

"The first phase of our collaboration has already proved fruitful for Genstruct and GSK through the identification of drug mechanisms as an aid to clinical development. The partnership has also been an excellent opportunity to explore synergies between our organizations," said Keith O. Elliston, Ph.D., president and CEO of Genstruct. "We are excited to address the scientific challenges that lay before us, and are looking forward to continuing to leverage our expertise and experience to bear on the problems at hand. We are extremely pleased to have partnered with another top tier, cutting-edge pharmaceutical company like GlaxoSmithKline."

Genstruct will continue to collaborate with GSK's oncology therapeutic area to identify molecular mechanisms of action for several drug candidates. Thus far, Genstruct has built causal models for various cancer states, and interrogated the models using computer-aided causal reasoning to define mechanistic biomarkers. Similar work will continue in the new phase of the collaboration.