Janssen expands multi-year hit identification deal with CRO ChemDiv

By Melissa Fassbender

- Last updated on GMT

(Image: iStock/Totojang)
(Image: iStock/Totojang)

Related tags Contract research organization Collaboration

Janssen and ChemDiv have expanded their multi-year hit identification collaboration to find potent anti-infective drug candidates.

The collaboration expands on a previous partnership announced in February of last year​ – though Janssen has worked with the San Diego, CA-based contract research organization (CRO) collaboratively for several years prior in multiple business models.

Ron Demuth, general manager of ChemDiv told us the Janssen discovery program “has steadily progressed as expected​.”

Now, the companies have expanded the discovery chemistry assets available to the collaboration to include a number of novel compounds built on the basis of recent ChemDiv MedChem and synthetic design research in the anti-infective arena, he explained.

While the companies aren’t disclosing any information on milestones, Demuth said the collaboration is “continuing and enlarged​.”

ChemDiv has also entered several similar collaborations with other large pharmaceutical partners.

Under these partnerships the company’s front-end payments for access to its discovery chemistry are relatively modest, Demuth explained, “While identification of active series, validation of advanced hits, and progress through early to later development stages earns milestone payments for ChemDiv​.”

Demuth said this reduces cash outlays for small molecule discovery assets and rewards successful outcomes. “This model yields greater alignment of goals and shared value between the parties​,” he added.

The CRO also recently announced a partnership​ with the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE). With support from Torrey Pines Investment, the organizations have launched a pre-commercial translation R&D program.

Related topics Preclinical Research

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