Sygnature Discovery and Viramatix Forge Strategic Alliance for Advancing Anti-Viral Drug Discovery

Sygnature Discovery Limited, the UK’s largest independent provider of integrated drug discovery resources and expertise, and Viramatix Sdn. Bhd., a biopharmaceutical company involved in the discovery of peptide based anti-viral therapeutics, today announced their ongoing collaboration on innovative anti-influenza therapeutics.

Influenza virus infection remains a serious threat to human health. Every year, nearly 5 million people are seriously affected by this illness and some 250,000 – 500,000 die globally. Currently, there are very few approved drugs available for the treatment and these treatment options possess many drawbacks such as short treatment window, resistant virus development and lack of broad-spectrum activity among other issues. This presents a significant unmet medical need in the development of new therapeutics with novel mechanisms of action. Viramatix’s pipeline candidates have shown excellent activity against all types of human influenza viruses and even against animal and avian influenza viruses.

“Taking our research offshore was no small decision. After evaluating the market of CRO providers across Europe, Sygnature Discovery really impressed us with a comprehensive range of services and an accomplished team to match under one roof. Their professionalism and communication with our scientists has made all the difference in progressing our research forward. With Sygnature Discovery we had a seamless transition to managing our research remotely,” explained Robert Hercus, Managing Director of Viramatix.

Sygnature Discovery has already provided services on DMPK characterization and optimization of Viramatix’s lead candidates. The ongoing collaboration will see Sygnature Discovery continue to undertake various studies to understand and optimize the drug-like characteristics of the lead candidates as Viramatix pursues clinical development of their therapeutic.

“We are impressed with Viramatix’s capabilities and its research, which has produced very promising results in all characteristics of the company’s Flu Peptide Therapeutic (FPT) which have been examined to date, “stated Dr Timothy Schulz-Utermoehl, Director of DMPK at Sygnature Discovery. He added, “We look forward to being involved in Viramatix’s continuation studies.”

“To achieve such rapid success in the project has required excellent science and smooth communication between the two groups. I am delighted that Viramatix has chosen to continue and expand our collaboration” said Simon Hirst, Sygnature Discovery’s CEO. “I feel confident that the combination of Viramatix’s novel approach and Sygnature Discovery drug discovery expertise opens up some exciting possibilities for new therapeutics.”