Scientific Collaborations for Optimal Results
Innovation of Solvay Pharmaceuticals drug discovery is enhanced by collaborations with leading biotechnology corporations and important institutions. This accelerates the drug discovery process and improves the quality of product development candidates. Solvay Pharmaceuticals combines its own strengths in pharmacology, biotechnology and chemistry with:
* ArQule for the synthesis of test compounds
* OSI for the development of new screens
* Innogenetics for the identification of new targets
* Clinics and Universities to address fundamental research issues, and gain optimal feedback from the clinical setting
Alliance with ArQule Inc. Medford, Mass. (USA)
This collaboration combines ArQule’s advanced combinatorial chemistry techniques with Solvay’s in house know-how of therapeutics. Solvay Pharmaceuticals is using ArQule’s combinatorial chemistry technology in two important ways. First, to broadly test new compounds for development, and secondly to refine the development of specific product candidates. This collaboration helps to generate diverse compounds for screening, identify potential product candidates and to accelerate the timetable for drug discovery.
The collaboration with ArQule (USA) has added hundreds of thousands of compounds to the Solvay Pharmaceuticals compound library. Many are developed specifically for Solvay, with input from experienced Solvay chemists.
Furthermore, ArQule has developed the AMAP (Automated Molecular Assembly Plant), a robotic synthetic equipment with a modular set-up of units for reagent preparation, reaction, work-up and quality control. The AMAP is fully operational since early 2000 and enables inhouse automated synthesis of Solvay libraries.
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Alliance with Oncogene Science Inc. (OSI, US).
With Oncogene Science Inc. in the US, Solvay Pharmaceuticals has a collaboration to identify new drugs that regulate specific signal transduction pathways which serve as critical communication links between and within cells.
OSI researchers have developed technology to simplify the identification of drugs which regulate signal transduction pathways. Signal transduction pathways in a receiving cell internalize messages from sending cells and produce a physiological response within the cell. Drugs targeted at signal transduction pathways may, for example, turn off a signal, preventing an undesirable cellular response such as cell proliferation from occurring. This collaboration effectively combines the therapeutic expertise of Solvay Pharmaceuticals with OSI’s understanding of signal transduction pathways
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Innogenetics (Ghent, Belgium)
A few years from now, the human genome will be completely discovered which will allow in-depth investigation into the role of genes in pathology. Biomedical research is entering a new era: instead of treating the symptoms of diseases, the new drugs will tackle the causes. Innogenetics’ experience in the field of genetic research technology and cloning will generate an inflow of new drug targets in Solvay Pharmaceuticals’ drug discovery pipeline, enhancing the quality of the total drug discovery effort. Pharmacological and molecular biological know-how, Solvay’s in house strengths, are important to select the right drug target. The advantage of Innogenetics’ experience and technology is that it can be applied to Solvay’s research programs in all therapeutic areas. Solvay selects the programs that will be performed by Innogenetics, within the area of the collaboration. There is a continuous exchange of information and technology expertise.
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Collaborations with clinics and universities –
Several research areas are being explored including pre-clinical and clinical investigations on oestrogens and androgens.
| – | In 1997, Solvay and the Mayo Clinic established an alliance aimed at advancing healthcare for post menopausal women. |
| – | In 1996, Solvay established a collaboration with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center to heighten physician awareness of emerging psychiatric issues for children and adolescents. |
| – | In 1996, Solvay and Emory University in Atlanta joined forces to study patients with cystic fibrosis and to develop family support programs for patients. |
| – | Solvay is collaborating with three different European universities on various aspects of Parkinson’s disease research: |
| From 2000, Marburg University is testing neuroprotective properties in vivo; | |
| In 1999, the Free University of Amsterdam was asked to activate in vitro test systems to identify compounds with neuroprotective properties; | |
| In 1988, Solvay began these collaborations with King’s College, London University to check on symptomatic efficacy of compounds with an anti-Parkinsonian mechanism of action. | |
| – | Solvay has two major collaborations in schizophrenia research: |
| In 1999 a project was started in collaboration with the Dutch Brain Bank/ Dutch Institute for Brain Research in Amsterdam and the Utrecht University to unravel the differences in target expression in selected brain areas obtained from schizophrenic patients. This project involves accessibility of human brain tissue and subsequent characterization of affected brain areas, followed by examination of the differences between the brains on a m-RNA level using various expression-profiling techniques. | |
| In 1996 Solvay established an alliance with Utrecht University, that was supported by grants from the Dutch government. One program aims at identifying brain areas that are affected by schizophrenia using advanced imaging techniques (MRI). Another program aims at finding animal models that mimic neurodevelopmental disturbances in schizophrenia. |
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| – | Since 1998 Solvay participates in a government sponsored collaboration with the Lower Saxony Institute for Peptide research in orphan ligand. |
| – | Since 1997 Solvay and the Rudolf Magnus Institute of Utrecht University have a collaborative program on a novel cardiovascular target. |