Sygnature Discovery and Saretius Couple Respective Expertise in Drug Discovery and Preclinical Testing

Sygnature Discovery, a provider of drug discovery services, and Saretius, focused on preclinical testing, are joining forces to offer clients a more integrated portfolio of services. U.K.-based Sygnature employs over 50 laboratory-based medicinal chemists and in vitro biologists at its BioCity Nottingham facility. Key areas of expertise include medicinal and computational chemistry. 

Saretius is also based in the U.K. and focuses on pain, metabolic and CNS disorders, as well as inflammatory disease. Saretius integrates efficacy testing, therapeutic index, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics. 

"Over the past seven years Sygnature has established a reputation for high-quality science and for the intellectual input they contribute into integrated drug discovery projects,” notes Guy Kennett, director at Saretius. “Our alliance will bring together the complementary skills of Sygnature, a center of excellence for medicinal chemistry-driven drug discovery with an impressive track record of success, and those of Saretius, a center of excellence for preclinical experimental and consultancy services.” 

Sygnature’s deal with Saretius will complement its existing agreement with Cyprotex Discovery for in vitro ADME/toxicology services. Commenting on its new arrangement with Saretius, Simon Hirst, Sygnature’s CEO, remarks, “With this new strategic alliance agreement in place, Sygnature can offer its customers an integrated drug discovery service where novel compounds are designed, synthesized, and screened at Sygnature, assessed at Cyprotex for their metabolic liability and toxicity, and tested at Saretius in disease relevant models with an emphasis on establishing translational pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic relationships.”