C4XD Lends Its NMR Technology To Takeda For 3D Drug Molecule Structures

By Cyndi Root

C4X Discovery (C4XD) announced in a press release that it will lend its Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) technology to Takeda Cambridge Limited (TCB). The new partners seek to use the technology to make 3D identifications of TCB’s drug molecules. Piers Morgan, CEO of C4XD, said, "We are delighted to partner with TCB, a leading pharma company with world class target identification and validation capabilities. This collaboration will provide increased visibility of the potential advantages and benefits of C4XD's technology."

C4XD and Takeda Agreement

Dr. Andy Ayscough, Senior Director of Chemistry at TCB, commented on the collaboration, saying that C4XD’s technology is a highly innovative platform. He expects the technology to complement TCB’s strong research base and accelerate product development. According to the agreement, the NMR-based technology will be applied to a number of TCB therapeutic projects. Financial terms were not disclosed.

C4XD’s NMR Technology

C4XD’s proprietary technology generates the 3D structures of drug molecules in a few days. Used with existing structure-based technologies like X-ray co-crystallography, when crystallography is unavailable, it can be used for certain GPCRs and ion channels. The platform, called MolGyrate, determines the dynamic 3D-conformation of molecules derived from nuclear magnetic resonance data. The molecules are analyzed in a solution, as opposed to other methods that rely on protein structure data and computational simulations.

In July 2014, C4XD announced that its patent for three-dimensional structures of dynamic molecules was granted in Japan. The company has filed patents for the technology in the United States and Europe. The company stated that the patent validates its unique technology and protects the Intellectual Property (IP) of the company.

C4XD Partners

C4XD has partnered with other pharmaceutical companies prior to this new collaboration. In September 2013, the company partnered with the University of Southampton and Dr. Ali Tavassoli on inhibitors of the HIV virus. Operating as Conformetrix, the previous name for C4XD, the company agreed to collaborate with Astra-Zeneca in April 2012 on its NMR technology. Mike Snowden, VP and Head of Discovery Sciences of AstraZeneca, said, “We believe their technology will provide a powerful addition to our hit identification and lead optimization approaches, supporting our strategic objectives to improve the quality and choice of candidate compounds for our early pipeline.”