Cenix BioScience and AstraZeneca in RNAi-based drug discovery research

Dresden-based company Cenix BioScience GmbH in Germany is using its expertise in combining high throughput (HT) applications of RNAi-based gene silencing to further therapeutic drug development in a new research project with AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP.

The initial project will involve a HT-RNAi screen using an assay strategy co-designed with AstraZeneca scientists to discover and validate novel oncology targets.

Cenix's technology is behind the 2006 Nobel Prize for Medicine. It uses high content phenotypic analyses in cultured human cells. Cenix will adapt and implement multi-parametric microscopy-based assays using the Cellenger image analysis platform from Munich-based Definiens, to generate detailed insights into the cellular functions and loss-of-function phenotypes of analysed genes. Such RNAi datasets, now widely favoured throughout the industry, offer a highly predictive and cost-effective basis for discovering and prioritizing targets for therapeutic drug development in a wide range of disease fields.

"We are very excited to begin working with AstraZeneca scientists to help advance their discovery pipeline with this powerful and well-proven technology," said Dr Christophe Echeverri, ceo/cso of Cenix. "We look forward to driving this relationship beyond the initial pilot through to multiple projects, as we have successfully done with other major pharma partners: by exceeding expectations on scientific and strategic excellence, and delivering the most detailed and professional reporting available in this field."