Tranzyme Inc and Gemin X Biotechnologies Inc have formed a joint collaboration to discover and develop new drugs for the treatment of neurological disorders using Gemin X's proprietary apoptosis-regulating gene technologies. The collaboration will use Tranzyme's gene expression platform, TExT.

This announcement is the eighth industry partnership Tranzyme has concluded since TExT was introduced in August of last year.

Under the terms of the collaboration, Gemin X will provide Tranzyme with a proprietary gene of interest in the area of neurological disorders. The gene has important functions in apoptosis and is expected to have significant utility in treating diseases in which excess apoptosis is the etiologic factor including stroke, head trauma, and Alzheimer's disease.

Tranzyme will develop cell-based assays and animal models expressing mutant and wild-type versions of the gene in order to validate its function. Gemin X and Tranzyme will then use the cell-based assays and animal models to screen small molecule drugs designed by Gemin X. Both Tranzyme and Gemin X will share all discovery and development costs. The two companies will jointly own any inventions made during the course of the collaboration.