Iconix Pharmaceuticals Inc announced a collaboration with Schering-Plough Research Institute (SPRI) to develop and validate gene markers of drug-induced organ toxicity.

Under terms of the agreement, Iconix and SPRI will engage in a joint research program to study the genomic basis for certain forms of organ toxicity in the liver, kidney and heart, areas of particular concern in the development of drug candidates. The program is aimed at identifying and validating predictive toxicogenomic markers that may be useful in prioritizing and selecting candidate drug molecules earlier in the drug discovery cycle, thereby reducing expensive and time-consuming animal safety testing. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

"Toxicogenomics is a rapidly emerging field with the potential to have a dramatic impact on how new drugs are discovered and the overall costs and risks of drug development," said Jim Neal, CEO of Iconix. "Iconix brings to this collaboration a specialized set of chemogenomic and toxicogenomic assets and expertise that complements the drug discovery and toxicology capabilities of SPRI. This synergy will help us to develop the use of genomics tools in drug optimization and toxicology, and to validate this new area of science," he said.