Hybrigenics acquires Semaia in bid to develop novel anti-cancer drugs
Merged companies will "leverage proprietary tools to identify and validate oncology targets" and develop drug candidates.
Hybrigenics SA, France’s pathway-based drug discovery company has acquired Dutch company Semaia BV, which specializes in the exploration of new drug targets in oncology.
With this all-share transaction, Hybrigenics secures access to novel targets for therapeutic research and advanced know-how in several areas of oncology.
By combining its functional proteomics technology and cancer expertise with Semaia’s oncology target candidates, Hybrigenics aims to speed up discovery of new compounds to treat colorectal and other cancers. In parallel, the company will continue with its discovery programs in viral diseases, including AIDS and Hepatitis C.
Hybrigenics has a strong synergy with Semaia’s areas of expertise while its own proprietary, high throughput functional proteomics technology should help to give a high priority to Semaia’s candidate targets. Combining the two companies’ technologies will accelerate validation of the chosen targets.
Hybrigenics will also identify additional proteins that interact with Semaia’s proprietary targets by leveraging its protein interaction mapping technology. Both Hybrigenics’ and Semaia’s small molecule screening platforms are expected to accelerate the identification of promising lead compounds to be further developed as potential drug candidates.
Additional financial terms were not disclosed.
Semaia has discovered a number of novel proprietary therapeutic targets in colorectal cancer (Wnt pathway) as well as in other cancers (Ras-Raf and PKB/AKT pathways), due to the efforts of its co-founders, Professors Hans Bos and Hans Clevers from the University of Utrecht. These targets, which include both enzymes and cell surface proteins, will be further explored to develop therapeutic antibodies and small molecule therapeutic compounds.
Rian De Jonge, Semaia’s Chief Executive Officer, and former Research Vice President of Solvay, will become Executive Vice President of Research and Development of Hybrigenics, which will remain based in Paris, France. Semaia’s cofounders Hans Bos and Hans Clevers will join Hybrigenics’ Scientific Advisory Board.
About Semaia
Semaia BV (www.semaia.com), Utrecht, The Netherlands, was co-founded by Professors Hans Bos and Hans Clevers. As a pioneer in the field of signal transduction, the company specializes in the discovery and development of low molecular weight active substances that regulate defective intracellular signal transduction. These play a central role in the pathogenesis and growth of cancer. The company has drug research discovery programs in colorectal cancer, and signal transduction in oncogenic processes.
About Hybrigenics
Hybrigenics (www.hybrigenics.com), Paris, France, is a pathway-based drug discovery company that identifies and validates new drug targets and therapeutic molecules via high throughput protein interaction mapping, a cutting-edge bioinformatics platform, cellular functional analysis, and proprietary small molecule screening technologies.
As a key player of the post-genomic era, the company analyzes specific biological complexes and networks of interacting proteins (so called "pathways"), from which it selects novel target proteins, which are then used to identify small molecule drug candidates. Because most drugs act on proteins or are proteins themselves, Hybrigenics’ approach shortens the path between genomics and drug development.
The company has established drug discovery programs in cancer and infectious diseases involving strategic alliances with the Curie Institute, the Pasteur Institute, the French AIDS Agency (ANRS), and INSERM. The company has formed alliances in these areas and for the treatment of metabolic and CNS diseases with industrial partners including Incyte Corp., Lynx Therapeutics Inc., Merck Sharp & Dohme Ltd., Oxford Glycosciences, Servier and XTL Biopharmaceuticals Ltd.
Keywords : Hybrigenics Semaia M&A Acquisition Drug discovery Functional proteomics Oncology HIV AIDS Hepatitis C
