Avidex and ChemOvation collaborate on rheumatoid arthritis

Avidex and ChemOvation have entered into a collaboration to further develop a small molecule product for rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Under the terms of the agreement, full details of which have not been disclosed, ChemOvation will be providing Avidex with medicinal and synthetic chemistry services and expertise for lead optimisation of Avidex's RhuDex product.

Commenting on the collaboration, David McGibney, Avidex's executive director Drug Discovery and Development, said: 'We are making very good progress with the RhuDex programme and firmly believe this collaboration will provide us with an excellent lead candidate by the end of 2003. We then intend rapidly to progress into the clinic.'

RhuDex is Avidex's orally available small molecule drug, initially indicated for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. RhuDex addresses the underlying disease causing mechanism of RA. RhuDex acts in a very specific manner on a clearly defined target and it is hoped it will avoid some of the side effects of current therapies. As an orally delivered small molecule, RhuDex also potentially offers a competitive therapeutic advantage over the new generation of protein therapeutics to RA, such as anti-TNF antibodies, which will only be available in parenteral forms. The interaction of CD80 with its co-receptor, CD28, found on cells of the immune system called CD4 positive T cells, is an important step in the inflammatory progression of RA. RhuDex specifically blocks the binding CD28 to CD80 so inhibiting activation of CD4 positive T cells and suppressing this part of the immune response.