Scientists from Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry at Queen Mary University of London, have developed a novel method of analysing and interpreting cell signalling pathways.
This technology enables the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry to identify biomarkers and better select new drugs for diseases such as cancer, autoimmunity and diabetes thereby helping to reduce their time to market.
This technology is incorporated in Activiomics Ltd, the first spin-out company to have been created from the Institute of Cancer at Barts and The London Medical School.
The company’s scientific founders are Dr Pedro Cutillas and Professor Bart Vanhaesebroeck from the Centre for Cell Signalling at the Institute of Cancer.
Both have previously conducted research at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Ltd where they initiated their work in proteomics. Professor Vanhaesebroeck is a world leading expert in PI3K signalling, a major disease target in oncology and inflammatory diseases.
Dr Cutillas is an expert in quantitative mass spectrometry and conceived the technology that is the basis of Activiomics.
Activiomics today announced it has signed a commercial agreement with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) through its Respiratory Centre of Excellence for Drug Discovery (CEDD), in a collaborative effort to investigate inflammatory signalling mechanisms.
Dr Mark Warne, Interim CEO of Activiomics, said: “We are delighted to have signed our first commercial agreement and look forward to working with GSK to identify novel modulators of inflammatory signalling. We believe our unique technology has significant advantages over existing methods and it is pleasing to see it already gaining traction in the marketplace.”
Activiomics partners with Pharma and Biotech using its innovative mass spectrometry-based method to analyse and interpret cell signalling pathway activity, generating high value information for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry.
Its unique TIQUAS (Targeted In-depth Quantification of cell Signalling) platform has advantages over existing methods in that it is quantitative, antibody-free, label-free and applicable to any cell or tissue sample. This is of significant benefit in the drug development cycle, aiding clinical trial candidate selection and biomarker discovery, thereby reducing development times.
Activiomics Ltd is supported by early stage finance from IP Group plc, the intellectual property commercialisation company. IP Group works closely with the Queen Mary Innovation (QMI) team to identify and develop new business opportunities from QMUL research.
QMI is responsible for fostering sustainable high-growth companies from Queen Mary, University of London’s research and manages the College’s equity interests in its spin-out portfolio.
Graeme Brown, QMI’s Director of Technology Transfer, commented “We are delighted to have established QM’s first Medical School spin-out under the Queen Mary/IP Group Partnership. QMI will continue to work closely with the academic founders and IP Group to ensure the long term success of company”.
Scientific founder, Pedro Cutillas said: “It is personally very rewarding seeing discoveries made in the lab moved into commercial development with the ultimate aim of patient benefit”. Bart Vanhaesebroeck commented "Activiomics embodies the ambition of the Centre for Cell Signalling to translate its discoveries into commercial and clinical benefit, and I am extremely pleased by our rapid progress in these areas".
For further information, please contact:
Laura KnowlesMarketing ManagerQueen Mary Innovation Limitedl.knowles@qmul.ac.uk0207 882 5289
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