An Aberdeen life science company that develops drugs derived from shark blood has struck a collaboration deal with one of the world’s largest biotechnology companies.
US-based Amgen will use a unique process developed by Elasmogen, a spin-out from the University of Aberdeen, and a Canadian firm to inject novel proteins (biologics) into cells.
The Aberdeen company paired its Solomer technology – which binds proteins to DNA – with the “shuttle” cell injection technology of Quebec City-based Feldan Therapeutics after the two companies joined forces on the project last year.
Working together, the research teams have demonstrated both intracellular and intranuclear delivery of Elasmogen’s Solomer “binding domains”.
The deal comes after Elasmogen raised £1.2million in a combined grant and equity fundraising from Deepbridge Capital, the Scottish Investment Bank and Innovate UK in March. The funding backed Elasmogen’s eye disease treatment that can be applied topically to the eye instead of by direct injection.
Elasmogen, led by chief executive Caroline Barelle, has developed medicines based on antibody-like molecules found in sharks, called variable new-antigen receptors (VNARs). The Solomer binders it has developed are the smallest yet discovered and are very strong, which makes them ideal for being put into individual cells. Elasmogen has also developed anti-cancer drugs.
Ms Barelle said: “This is an exciting opportunity to demonstrate the performance and capabilities of the combined Shuttle-Solomer technology. The expertise provided by Amgen will significantly accelerate the development of this potential new class of therapeutics.”
François-Thomas Michaud, chief executive of Feldan Therapeutics, said: ““Currently all approved biologic antibody therapeutics act on extracellular targets but intracellular delivery enables access to a much greater number of targets. Intracellular delivery and binding of biologics can bridge the gap between small molecules and biologics.”
Prof Stephen Logan, chair of the life sciences board of economic development agency, Opportunity North East (One), welcomed the deal.
He said: “We have a strong and globally recognised life sciences sector in the region, which One has significant ambitions to build. Companies based in Aberdeen have attracted in excess of £280million of investment in recent years while the academic research base has secured a further £250million. More than 114 life sciences patents have been filed in the region in the past five years.
“Aberdeen has a history of high quality spin out companies and Elasmogen is a good example of what can be achieved. Its new research agreement serves to highlight the potential to build life sciences businesses in the region to capitalise on the links that exist between clinical, commercial and academic researchers in Aberdeen.
The life sciences sector employs 2,500 people in the north east, which has one of the highest concentrations of life scientists in the UK outside of Cambridge.
