Oncodesign has formed a new strategic alliance with HitGen, a Chinese biotech company. This partnership complements Oncodesign’s technological platforms and enables the identification of novel hits for challenging biological targets. It also strengthens its Integrated Drug Discovery Service (IDDS) offer, known as DRIVE™ (DRug Integrative discoVEry).
For several years, Oncodesign has been promoting and carrying out drug discovery programs –on behalf of third-party clients, with the aim of generating leads and preclinical candidates and, when necessary, to accompany the client up to the IND submission.
DRIVE is part of Oncodesign’s continuous commitment to improve its integrated drug discovery offer. It is a smart and agile solution that helps clients streamline their drug discovery and development programs to make the best use of resources and achieve optimum results. By covering the entire drug discovery value chain from hit finding to IND filing, DRIVE aims to accelerate the entry of new chemical entities into clinic within a three year time frame.
DRIVE encompasses all drug discovery skills, expertise and platforms to deliver drugs in major therapeutic areas including oncology, immuno-oncology, immuno-inflammation and inflammation. Oncodesign’s DRIVE offering has now been broadened and deepened by the strategic alliance with HitGen.
The two companies have built a joint value proposition where HitGen applies its powerful DNA Encoded Library (DEL) technology platform to identify tractable hits. It enables clients to leverage the benefits of HitGen’s technology platform and Oncodesign’s drug discovery expertise to generate robust leads faster and deliver high quality preclinical candidates.
DRIVE runs a multiparametric optimization mode, with streamlined and fast testing of newly synthesized compounds. By applying immediate processing, within a collaborative environment between medicinal chemists, in vitro/in vivo pharmacologists and DMPK specialists, Oncodesign helps reduce the iterative cycles of optimization to rapidly deliver preclinical candidates.
“As a result of this new alliance, Oncodesign’s clients will be able to leverage the benefits from both our drug discovery expertise and HitGen’s DEL technology platform in major therapeutic areas,” said Fabrice Viviani, senior executive vice president and chief of Oncodesign’s Service Business Unit. “We are confident that the quality of the starting hits generated by HitGen will impact the future likelihood of success of the preclinical candidates delivered by Oncodesign.”