Reaction Biology Corporation (“RBC”) and Key Organics Ltd (“Key”) today announced that they have created a Joint Venture (“JV”) to engage in high throughput drug discovery.
The purpose of the JV is to identify a series of compounds with the potential of becoming new drugs with further research, and then to partner or sell the compounds to pharmaceutical companies interested in the selected targets. Key supplies diverse sets of compounds synthesized in-house using classical organic procedures optimized for primary screening of druggable targets. RBC’s DiscoveryDot™ microarray technology reduces screening volumes to one nanoliter size, allowing large scale screening at low cost.
The companies plan to jointly select appropriate drug targets. Key will provide compounds for screening against these targets using RBC’s DiscoveryDot™ screening technology. Key will then provide additional chemical analysis and compound synthesis, and RBC will perform additional screening and profiling. The companies will then collaborate on further development of selected compounds.
Reaction Biology, based in Malvern, Pa., provides high throughput screening services to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry. The company uses a patent-pending combination of technologies to perform screening at the
nanoliter scale, while preserving quality, speed and simplicity.
Combining genomics microarray printing technology and picoliter aerosol deposition, RBC has commercialized a novel technology that drives HTS to new levels of simplicity and efficiency.
Key Organics Limited was formed in 1986 to supply schemes of novel, benzenoid and heterocyclic chemistry to its customers under confidentially agreements. During Key's growth over the last 18 years, custom and contract synthesis and lead optimisation programmes for clients worldwide have become an increasingly important part of its business. The Company is based at its own well-equipped multi-lab site in Camelford, Cornwall, UK. Key Organics employs Graduate and Ph.D. chemists, including medicinal chemists, with experience in a wide range of chemical techniques and technologies. Key Organics is able to supply mg to kg quantities of compounds to a high specification.