HOME   SITE MAP   CONTACT US

 Back

SCYNEXIS Norak Biosciences And SCYNEXIS Announce Chemistry Collaboration

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, North Carolina, USA - (April 13, 2004) - Norak Biosciences, Inc. and SCYNEXIS, Inc. announced today that they have entered into a research collaboration to discover and develop novel pharmaceutical compounds. Under the agreement, Norak has transferred to SCYNEXIS certain active compounds and chemical structures from Norak's proprietary Transfluor® screening exercise of its chemical libraries against its novel desensitization targets. These will add to Norak's internal drug discovery pipeline.

The collaboration provides access by Norak to a SCYNEXIS research unit which includes MEDCHEM-FACTORY® technology, HEOS® Hit Explorer Operating System software and medicinal chemistry expertise. This access will accelerate the identification of new leads for Norak's drug targets by producing large, focused, high-purity compound libraries and then utilizing rapid lead optimization to identify clinical candidates.

Specific financial terms were not disclosed. However, Norak will receive exclusive worldwide rights to products developed through the collaboration in exchange for technology access fees and other compensation for SCYNEXIS technologies and services.

"We are pleased to enter into this chemistry collaboration with such an exceptional medicinal chemistry company" commented Dr. Roger D. Blevins, Norak's president and CEO. "SCYNEXIS' proprietary compound library purification, analytical tools and strong medicinal chemistry expertise will rapidly advance our discoveries."

"SCYNEXIS is pleased to collaborate with NORAK in the discovery and development of new drugs. This collaboration allows our companies to match complementary innovative technologies, which have been validated by transactions with key pharmaceutical industry organizations, in a research unit arrangement that provides for mutual success," said Dr. Yves J. Ribeill, President & CEO of SCYNEXIS.

Norak's Transfluor technology is a patented, universal GPCR drug discovery technology designed to be the most accurate method for discovering ligands for GPCR targets, whether known or orphan. Transfluor was exclusively licensed in 1999 by Norak from technology developed at Duke University Medical Center and represents the combined research into GPCR signaling pathways over several decades by Norak's scientific founders, Drs. Marc Caron, Robert Lefkowitz, and Larry Barak.

Norak Biosciences, Inc., headquartered in Research Triangle Park, NC, is a private biotechnology company. Norak is utilizing its proprietary Transfluor technology to become a worldwide leader in the discovery and development of drugs that regulate G protein-coupled receptors. For more information about Norak Biosciences, Inc., please visit the Company's website at http://www.norakbio.com.

About SCYNEXIS
SCYNEXIS is a medicinal chemistry-focused drug discovery and development company headquartered in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, with European operations, SCYNEXIS Europe Ltd., located near Cambridge, England. By combining its chemists’ extensive expertise with its proprietary, cutting-edge technologies MEDCHEM-FACTORY®, HEOS® Software Suite and Kinase Inhibitor Technology (KIT™), SCYNEXIS provides improved speed and productivity in the chemical validation of drug targets. Besides SCYNEXIS’ validated expertise in lead optimization and candidate selection, SCYNEXIS also offers a comprehensive suite of drug discovery and development services that include novel directed hit generation compounds, hit explosion and lead optimization services, process optimization, purification and analysis of compound libraries, in vitro ADMET bioanalytical services, the production of GMP clinical samples and radiosynthesis services. SCYNEXIS’ website is located at www.scynexis.com.

Media Contacts:

For NORAK:
Terry Willard
(919) 248-8000 x8804
twillard@norakbio.com

SCYNEXIS:
Rick Rountree
Rick Rountree Communications
(919) 878-1144
rick@rickrountree.com

Business Development Contacts:

For NORAK:
Terry Willard
(919) 248-8000 x8804
twillard@norakbio.com

SCYNEXIS:
In the U.S.:
Terry Marquardt
(919) 544-8600
terry.marquardt@scynexis.com
In Europe:
Dr. Hans Fliri
+ 44 (0) 1277 367 002
hans.firi@scynexis.com