Evotec OAI Announces Medicinal Chemistry Agreement with British Biotech

08-Nov-2002

Evotec OAI AG, a partner for integrated high-value-added drug discovery to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, announced today that it has signed a medicinal chemistry optimisation programme agreement with British Biotech plc , a research and development stage biopharmaceutical company.

The agreement centres on British Biotech's antibiotic metalloenzyme inhibitor (MEI) research programme, which is focused in particular on inhibitors of peptide deformylase (PDF). Last month British Biotech started a Phase I study of its lead PDF inhibitor, BB-83698, the first-ever clinical evaluation of this potential new class of anti-infective drugs. British Biotech is co-developing BB-83698 and other PDF inhibitors with the US company GeneSoft Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Under the terms of the Evotec OAI/British Biotech collaboration, a team of Evotec OAI chemists will design and synthesise additional PDF inhibitors which British Biotech will then use in screening in its search for novel anti-infective drug candidates.

Targeting bacterial metalloenzymes represents a novel approach to the treatment of infectious disease since certain of these enzymes, including PDF, have been found to be essential for bacterial survival. In research and pre-clinical studies, British Biotech's PDF inhibitors have shown high potency against bacteria that cause pneumonia and other serious infections, including strains resistant to current antibiotics.

Evotec OAI will apply its lead optimisation and medicinal chemistry techniques to help optimise the drug-like and ADME/T properties of the substances identified in screening. In addition to fees for services, Evotec OAI may receive future milestone payments if discovery projects meet defined goals and products are commercialised.

https://www.chemeurope.com/en/news/15648/evotec-oai-announces-medicinal-chemistry-agreement-with-british-biotech.html