Hybrigenics, a functional proteomics company and Servier, France's largest privately-owned pharmaceutical company, yesterday announced signing of two new Drug Discovery Collaboration and License Agreements. The renewed Collaboration will utilize results based on Hybrigenics' protein-interaction PIM Technology to optimize novel anti-cancer drugs. The agreements expand a previously announced collaboration between the two companies.

The agreements call for Servier to provide Hybrigenics research funding for two additional years, as well as milestone payments. Hybrigenics will also receive royalties related to the development and commercialization of pharmaceuticals resulting from the collaboration. In return, Servier will obtain exclusive worldwide rights to develop and market drugs against the selected targets as well as an option for the application to other therapeutic indications. Servier also obtained an internal users' license to a customized PIMRider software. This license is renewable on annual basis. Financial details were not disclosed.

During its previous collaboration with Servier, Hybrigenics applied its proprietary technology to map protein-protein interactions in cell-death pathways (apoptosis). Hybrigenics selected a number of potential therapeutic targets to help validate lead compounds as potential Servier cancer therapeutics. Servier will now supply several early lead anticancer compounds to Hybrigenics, which will evaluate their biological and pharmacological properties.

Dr. Laurent Perret, president R&D for Servier, expressed his strong interest and his confidence in the potential success of the collaboration in Oncology. Dr Emmanuel Canet, vice-president for research and development, Servier, stressed that the renewed alliance with Hybrigenics represents a major step forward and opens up additional promising possibilities in the areas of biotechnology and Cancer Drug research.

"The area of cancer is of strategic importance to Hybrigenics' both internal and collaborative discovery programs," said Prof. Donny Strosberg, CEO of Hybrigenics. "We are gratified to continue to work with Servier and are especially satisfied to have signed our first actual drug-discovery deal in the area of cancer with this internationally renowned French drug company."