Author name: ASolia

Axxam S.p.A. collaborates with GenSight Biologics S.A. to support Clinical Trials of an optogenetic-based gene therapy drug for sight-threatening diseases April 24th 2018 – Milan (Italy) – Axxam S.p.A. announced today a collaboration with GenSight Biologics S.A. in the field of optogenetic gene-therapy drug development, with the goal to support GenSight effort of establishing innovative therapies to preserve or restore vision in patients suffering from sight-threatening ophthalmic diseases, such as Retinitis Pigmentosa. GenSight is an innovative clinical-stage gene therapy company with an initial focus on discovering, developing and commercializing novel therapies for severe retinal neurodegenerative diseases. Its unique know-how in using optically controlled gene products for orchestrating cellular functions in miniaturized HTS-compatible functional assays, made Axxam the research partner of choice for the development of a cell-based potency assay to be used to validate GenSight GS030 drug product batches for the use in clinical-stage experimentation. Axxam started the collaboration with GenSight with the establishment of a miniaturized in-vitro assay aimed at robustly and quantitatively measuring the biological effects linked to GS030 therapeutic properties, namely photoactivated cellular excitability. The potency assay, specially developed by Axxam for GenSight, is now ready to process for the method qualification in order to meet the regulatory requirements for clinical and further commercial stages. Open PDF document  

AXXAM expands its natural products service business Thursday 22nd March 2018, Milan – Axxam SpA (“AXXAM”) announces today the acquisition of all shares of IMAX Discovery GmbH (“IMAX Discovery”) held by IMD Natural Solutions GmbH (“INS”) to make IMAX Discovery a subsidiary of AXXAM. In the course of this transaction, IMAX Discovery acquired the natural products libraries of INS. With this acquisition and through IMAX Discovery, AXXAM has expanded its discovery services portfolio to the food & beverage industry and emphasizes its commitment to building its service business with unique offerings in natural product innovation as well as flavor solutions. As a consequence, AXXAM will also transfer its service business within the fragrance field into IMAX Discovery. Open PDF document

Axxam and Proximagen enter into a strategic collaboration for the discovery of novel molecules against targets for CNS disorders, pain and inflammation January 10th 2018 – Milan (Italy) and Cambridge (UK) – Axxam S.p.A. and Proximagen Ltd. today announced a strategic drug discovery collaboration for the identification and optimisation of small molecules as potential therapeutics in the fields of neuroscience, pain and inflammation. Over the course of the collaboration, Axxam and Proximagen scientists will collaborate to identify novel molecules modulating validated and promising biological targets of therapeutic interest for a range of disorders requiring novel therapeutic approaches. Starting from assay development and high throughput screening campaigns, using the Axxam AXXDIV3.0 library, the subsequent hits will be progressed through optimisation at Proximagen. This collaboration is the latest evolution of an existing relationship between the two companies. Open PDF document

Rewind Therapeutics, founded by Axxam and CD3, focusing on myelin-related diseases, raises €15.2 million in Series A Financing Round January 4th, 2018 – Milan (Italy) – Axxam is proud to announce that Rewind Therapeutics, a Belgian biotech company recently founded by Axxam itself and KU Leuven’s Centre for Drug Design and Discovery (CD3 – Leuven, Belgium), has completed a €15.2 million Series A round that will finance research programs directed towards the development of novel re-myelinating therapies for patients suffering from Multiple Sclerosis and other myelin-related diseases. The round was led by life science investors Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund (BIVF), Merck Ventures BV (MV) and Participatiemaatschappij Vlaanderen (PMV), together with CD3 and KU Leuven Gemma Frisius Fonds (GFF).  For more info please open the Press Release from Rewind Therapeutics. Open PDF document

leadXpro and Axxam enter collaboration on a GPCR lead discovery project Milan, Italy, & Villigen, Switzerland, 1st of November 2017 – Axxam SpA and leadXpro AG announce today a collaboration for the discovery of novel small molecule lead compounds for a newly discovered GPCR involved in inflammatory processes. In the collaboration, Axxam and leadXpro will combine their expertise in assay development, high throughput screening, membrane protein generation, structure determination and application of biophysical methods to investigate the interaction of small molecule ligands with challenging membrane protein drug targets to facilitate the discovery and optimization of novel lead molecules. Open PDF Document

Axxam consolidates its collaboration with Genedata September 27, 2017 – Axxam is glad to announce that the fruitful collaboration with Genedata, a leading provider of advanced software solutions for R&D, has been strengthened by the extension of the license for Genedata Screener®, a research platform for data analysis. “Since 2008, we have been using Genedata Screener for high throughput screening programs,” says our CEO Dr. Stefan Lohmer. “The platform is integral to all our screening service offerings and provides everything our customers are looking for in terms of data comparability, traceability, and quality of results.” For more information, please open the Press Release from Genedata. Open PDF Document

Axxam Enters Into Research Collaboration with Sanofi in the Field of Neurodegeneration September 5 2017 – Milan (Italy) – Axxam S.p.A today announced the start of a research collaboration with Sanofi designed to further optimize a number of lead series of small molecules targeted against a range of diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). Open PDF document

Axxam enters into a Research Collaboration with Enamine for the enhancement of the Axxam Screening Collection August 1st, 2017 – Milan (Italy) and Kiev (Ukraine) – Axxam S.p.A. and Enamine Ltd. today announced the start of a Research Collaboration to enhance the Axxam small molecule screening library with the addition of a further set of compounds aimed at early-stage CNS drug discovery, achieving a total library size of ca. 280,000 compounds. Over the course of the collaboration, Axxam and Enamine scientists will work together to apply a series of literature and proprietary chemoinformatics principles based on generating a highly diverse set of compounds with properties aimed at crossing the blood-brain barrier. Enamine will then provide these compounds, which will significantly augment the existing CNS compound collection at Axxam. This is the latest phase of a long-standing relationship between the two companies that resulted in the construction of the current AXXDIV2.0 library at Axxam. Open PDF document

Axxam coordinates European research project on chronic pain for innovative medicines Milan (Italy) – June 15th, 2017 – Axxam is proud to announce its participation to the NGN-PET project, that will provide a translational platform of rodent and human neuropathic pain models for the identification and validation of new targets and biomarkers, and suitable for the discovery of new drugs. The project investigates neuron-glia interactions for the identification of novel therapeutic approaches, and for the development of innovative drug screening systems including hiPSC systems. The IMI2 project was launched on April the 1st  and is coordinated by Axxam; the project Leader is ESTEVE supported by Grünenthal GmbH as project Co-Leader. For more information please open the Press Release from the NGN-PET Consortium. Open PDF document

Axxam and Fulcrum Therapeutics Initiate a Partnership for the Provision of Drug Discovery Services for Genetic Diseases February 1st, 2017 – Axxam SpA (Milan/Italy), an innovative Partner Research Organization (iPRO) and leading provider of discovery services has entered into an agreement with Fulcrum Therapeutics Inc., a U.S.-based biotech founded in July 2016 by Third Rock Ventures. Fulcrum Therapeutics is focused on discovering and developing small molecule therapies to unlock gene control and the collaboration will utilize Axxam’s world-leading screening platform to identify novel targets for regulating gene expression. The programme will initially focus on genetic diseases where no effective treatment options currently exist. Open PDF Document