Summit extends research deal for Zebrafish technology platform

UK biotechnology company Summit Corporation has signed a further term for its research agreement with the healthcare and pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson PTE Ltd to explore and develop the use of zebrafish drug screening in drug discovery and development.

With this deal, Summit will receive an undisclosed amount over three years to support the development of new assays using the zebrafish platform. The platform is used to screen drug candidates for a broad range of toxicity and safety issues. The research will be undertaken at a new state-of-the-art zebrafish facility in Singapore and will be established and maintained by Summit as part of this agreement.

Summit expects the facility in Singapore to be fully operational early in 2009, when it will primarily undertake assay development work in accordance with the agreement. In addition, Summit will use Singapore, already a centre of excellence in zebrafish research, as a base to target new markets in the Far East and expand its current zebrafish screening services business.

Steven Lee, ceo of Summit said: "I am pleased Summit will be extending the excellent relationship we have established in our zebrafish technology through the signing of this longer-term agreement. This partnership is an important milestone for Summit and is a natural follow-on from previous pilot studies conducted with Johnson & Johnson".

Summit has signed a major licensing agreement with BioMarin in Duchenne muscular dystrophy and has co-development agreements with Evolva (infectious diseases), Orient Pharma (sialorrhoea) and the Lilly TB Drug Discovery Initiative (tuberculosis)

Underpinning the company's drug pipeline are two technology platforms: carbohydrate chemistry and zebrafish biology.