Agreement includes optimization, synthesis, and bioinformatics.
Axolabs has agreed to provide Arrowhead Research and its partners oligonucleotide optimization, synthesis, and analytics. The deal covers bioinformatics for siRNA design; lead identification, optimization, and characterization; as well as siRNA synthesis and CMC-related activities.
Axolabs is a custom research organization providing preclinical solutions and consultancy in the field of oligonucleotide therapeutics. The company is built on the foundations of the former Roche Center of Excellence for RNA Therapeutics in Kulmbach, Germany.
Arrowhead Research is a clinical-stage nanomedicine company. It has capabilities and intellectual property covering nucleic acid delivery, siRNA chemistry, and tissue targeting. The company’s lead products include CALAA-01, an oncology drug based on RNAi, and Adipotide™, an anti-obesity peptide that targets and kills the blood vessels that feed white adipose tissue. Arrowhead is leveraging its Dynamic PolyConjugate (DPC), Liposomal Nanoparticle (LNP), and RONDEL delivery platforms to support its own pipeline of preclinical and clinical candidates.
“With multiple candidates in the clinic addressing a wide range of indications, data demonstrating the power of RNAi as a therapeutic modality are rapidly accumulating,” say Christopher Anzalone, Ph.D., Arrowhead’s CEO. “Axolabs’ scientists are pioneers in the field. Having access to their expertise in preclinical development complements Arrowhead’s capabilities well and provides us with yet another tool for preclinical and clinical collaborations in the field.”