CellCentric secures 25th epigenetics academic agreement
CellCentric, a biotechnology company that unlocks epigenetic control mechanisms, has expanded its network of relationships through an agreement with Professors Ramin Shiekhattar and Luciano Di Croce at the Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona. The UK-based company now has ties with 25 laboratories worldwide.
CellCentric, a biotechnology company that unlocks epigenetic control mechanisms, has expanded its network of relationships through an agreement with Professors Ramin Shiekhattar and Luciano Di Croce at the Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona. The UK-based company now has ties with 25 laboratories worldwide.
CellCentric currently has six active small molecule discovery programmes and is building a portfolio of epigenetic-related supporting technologies, including screens and markers.
The company announced a feasibility study and option agreement with Takeda Pharmaceuticals in January, to collaborate on a novel cancer target. The company also signed a non-exclusive evaluative and optional licence agreement to a particular screening assay in October 2008 with Pfizer Regenerative Medicine.
Dr Will West, chief executive of CellCentric, said: "The team at CellCentric is delighted to reinforce its discovery base with the addition of leaders of the calibre of Ramin and Luciano.
"Epigenetics is still an emerging field; breadth of scientific understanding will be key to commercial success. Our innovative business model of harnessing information from multiple world leaders has fuelled a series of highly competitive discovery programmes. The fact that we have translated this to early deals that have brought in revenue without diluting our assets, proves we are recognised to be in a dominant position in epigenetics."
Epigenetics concerns the processes that help govern chromatin structure and function, which control cell fate. This is an emerging field that is leading to a series of novel approaches to intractable diseases, including cancer.