Summer School: Biocompatibility of nanoparticle Warsaw, July 3-6, 2011

Summer School Organizers

International Organizing Committee

Stanislaw Blazewicz – Chair of Organizing Committee (AGH-UST, POLAND)
Jan M. Wojcicki - (The International Centre of Biocybernetics (ICB), POLAND)
Jimi Adu – (University of Brighton, UK)
Mohammad S. Alavijeh – (Pharmidex, UK)

The Summer School will be a forum for all those involved in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology with particular emphasis on biocompatibility of nanoparticles. Since the year 2000, there has been an approximate doubling each year of articles related to nanoparticles for use in biomedical and technical applications. In biological systems, they have been used as drug delivery vehicles, targeted cancer therapies, tissue scaffolds, biosensor, diagnostics, gene therapy and regenerative medicine. Opinions on biocompatibility of nanomaterials and their behavior in living system are still ambiguous. Scientists explain that  behavior of nanoparticles may be attributed to various factors, for instance, concentration, reactivity, type of functionalization, duration of exposure, methods of exposure, catalysts impurity and agglomeration.

For more details see website: http://bionano.cba.pl/

Medical Research Council Technology (MRCT) and Pharmidex announce Drug Discovery Collaboration

Medical Research Council Technology (MRCT) (London, UK) and Pharmidex (London, UK) announced today 13th April that Pharmidex will provide all in vivo ADME/PK drug discovery support to the MRCT in 2010.

Dr Andy Merritt, Associate Director of Chemistry at MRCT’s Centre for Therapeutics Discovery said, “As we rapidly progress a number of small molecule projects towards proof of concept studies we need to measure pharmaceutical company quality ADME information. By choosing Pharmidex as our supplier of pharmacokinetic and ADME studies we will not only access high quality laboratory services but also gain access to experience and knowledge in a scientific partnership that will enable us to develop efficient, timely, high quality studies to answer key aspects of our programme progressions.”

Dr Gary Manchee, global Head of Business Development at Pharmidex concludes that the advantages that Pharmidex offer as the partner of choice lay in the broad range of services available, the high quality of the data, bespoke study design options, and the expert DMPK advice that comes with the ‘Pharmidex package’. This powerful combination together with the “part of your lab” mentality at Pharmidex and the “quick and direct access” to our scientists working on client projects at all times, ensures responsive, fast and effective lead optimisation for our client.


About Pharmidex

Pharmidex provides the highest quality ADME/PK, drug safety & bioanalytical services for lead optimisation and drug development activities. Pharmidex also has its world leading CNS solutions platform including NeuroPK® and NeuroPD® for direct assessment of drug levels and biochemical responses in any brain region. Taken together our scientific platforms allow our clients to quickly and cost-effectively identify and progress their new medicines.

Our scientific staff is highly qualified with a wide range of expertise and experience in academia and the pharmaceutical industry and can provide bespoke study designs to address specific client needs. The Management Team at Pharmidex have more than 30 years experience of drug discovery and development of new drugs covering most therapeutic areas and can lead projects or aid decision making for clients as required.

Pharmidex has a very successful track record in obtaining financial support for our scientific development via grant applications in the US, UK and EU and by partnering on a ‘shared risk-shared reward’ basis with other companies. This proven approach has led to the co-development of the CNS delivery system, Cerense® with Genzyme Pharmaceuticals and the drug discovery services alliance with Domainex, among others.


Contact Information:

Nick Traynor This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

72 New Bond Street, Mayfair, W1S 1RR, London, UK www.pharmidex.com

About Medical Research Council Technology (MRCT)

MRCT is the exclusive commercialisation agent for the UK Medical Research Council, working to translate cutting edge scientific discoveries into commercial products. MRCT bridges the gap between innovative basic science and making medicine. MRCT works to provide drug-like candidate molecules to innovative new drug targets, and to translate innovative antibody-based drug targets into potent and selective therapeutic antibody candidates giving pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies new starting points for drug discovery and development, based on MRC advances in science. MRCT’s Therapeutic Antibody Group scientists have a proven track record of success in antibody humanization which extends over 20 years and has produced 10 clinical candidates and two regulatory approved humanized antibodies: Elan/Biogen Idec’s Tysabri® and Chugai/Roche’s Actemra®.

www.mrctechnology.org


Contact Information:

Jan Coates

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it MRC Technology,

1-3 Burtonhole Lane, Mill Hill, NW7 1AD, UK www.mrctechnology.org

Please see press release here.

Domainex and Pharmidex announce drug discovery services alliance.

January 28th, 2010: Domainex Ltd and Pharmidex announced today the formation of a strategic alliance, combining their expertise and innovative technologies to provide the market with an integrated, high-quality drug discovery services platform. The joint service offering will amalgamate   Domainex’s LeadBuilder technology for cost-effective hit-finding, as well as its highly-experienced medicinal chemistry team, with Pharmidex’s renowned expertise and in vitro and in vivo capabilities in drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK). Concordant with the established track records of both partners, the alliance will have a particular emphasis on tackling the most challenging of scientific problems, including novel or “difficult” drug targets.  Examples of this proficiency include Domainex’s proven capabilities in peptidomimetic drugs, and Pharmidex’s recognised expertise in the study of DMPK within the central nervous system (NeuroPK® and NeuroPD®).

Dr Eddy Littler, CEO of Domainex commented: “Pharmidex and Domainex have both identified clients who wish to be supported with an integrated discovery and lead characterisation platform. By forming this alliance we can offer this option to those clients who need it, providing this service to them in a seamless manner.  Domainex has been searching for a DMPK partner that has both the level of expertise and the range of capabilities to match our specialist know-how and capabilities in the fields of medicinal chemistry and the expression of difficult protein targets. Pharmidex was the obvious choice for a strategic partnership. We are very impressed with their capabilities and track record in DMPK services, and especially their ability to work on demanding and unusual problems. Together, the two companies will forge a strong alliance for the benefit of our current and future clients.”

Dr Mohammad Alavijeh, CEO of Pharmidex commented: “We are delighted to be working with the team at Domainex.  They have a fantastic track record in R&D success, including the delivery of several candidate drugs on behalf of their clients - predominantly organisations in the academic and biotech sectors.  Pharmidex works with similar organisations, but also has a strong customer base for our drug discovery services in the pharma sector. We believe that this alliance of skills and expertise will enable us to extend our client-base in multiple drug discovery sectors.”

Dr Keith Powell Chairman of Domainex added:  “Domainex had an excellent 2009, especially towards the end of the year when we secured several significant contracts with large pharmaceuticals companies for our Combinatorial Domain Hunting biology services. We are very pleased to have started 2010 in the same positive manner and are on a solid footing to make further commercial progress. “

Dr Ken Powell Chairman of Pharmidex said “Pharmidex’s reputation and client base in the Pharma sector is growing quickly and evenexisting clients like the MRC technology group have gone as far as to endorsed Pharmidex as its sole provider of in vivo PK studies for 2010.  We are not just providing services to our clients but knowledge and experience which together with a flexible approach to study design has endeared us to clients seeking real value.  

About Domainex

• Domainex uses unique and proprietary technologies to resolve common bottlenecks facing the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries in the post-genomic era. Major discovery 'gaps' exist between the vast amount of genomic information that is now available, the accessibility of the corresponding proteins for use in target validation and drug discovery, and the identification of robust hits in a cost effective manner.  Founded in 2002, Domainex is a privately owned company with laboratories in Cambridge, England, and offices in the London Bioscience Innovation Centre.  
• Domainex has developed a number of platform technologies specifically aimed at enabling biotech or university groups who have exciting new drug targets. Its Combinatorial Domain Hunting (CDH) technology will deliver protein constructs that are soluble, stable, and produced in high-yield - thereby opening up the path to high throughput screening, structural biology, or antibody production.  Domainex has also developed LeadBuilder - a virtual screening approach for targets which is specifically aimed at identifying hit molecules that are ideally suited for further development. The experienced medicinal chemistry team has a proven track record by providing expertise to take hit compounds through lead optimisation and on to candidate selection.  Several compounds arising from these collaborations are currently in clinical evaluation.
• Domainex works with clients on a fee-for-service basis. In 2008, the company secured investment to establish its own internal drug discovery pipeline based upon a number of targets in oncology. These targets are being progressed using Domainex’s platform technologies.

For more information: www.domainex.co.uk

About Pharmidex

• Since 2002, Pharmidex has established itself as the world leading centre for studying CNS drug distribution and biochemical responses to new drugs using its proprietary NeuroPK® and NeuroPD® technologies. Using these technologies drug action can be associated with free drug levels at the target site and systemic pharmacokinetic data.
• Today Pharmidex provides an extensive range of in vitro, in situ and in vivo ADMET/PK technologies covering a wide range of species, to underpin its world leading CNS expertise. Clients can select from the extensive platform technologies or request bespoke studies to address specific needs, all of which are rapidly undertaken by highly qualified scientists from academic and industry backgrounds.
• The Scientists and Management Team at Pharmidex have extensive knowledge of discovery and development of new drugs, covering a broad range of drug targets.
• Pharmidex has its own research activities which include providing clients with a drug delivery technology to the brain called Cerense®; this technology can improve the brain uptake of both large (macromolecules) and small, new or existing drugs offering better efficacy, less side-effects or just delivering therapies that could never access the brain.
• Pharmidex has a very successful track record in obtaining financial support for our scientific development via grant applications in the US, UK and EU and by partnering on a ‘shared risk-shared reward’ basis with other companies. This proven approach has led to the co-development of the CNS delivery system, Cerense® with Genzyme Pharmaceuticals.

For more information:  www.pharmidex.com