Starpharma Inks A Second, Extended Collaboration Agreement With Merck: High End Drug Discovery Technology

This is what a reality-based, rational, successful. . . software and wetware driven candidate identification and discovery effort looks like, in the 21^st Century. Kudos, to Starpharma on this feather in its cap.

These dendrimers are constructed by the successive addition of layers to the branching groups. The synthesis of dendrimers involves a core molecule with branching groups to which other branching molecules are added in layers (see the progression of models, in bottom of the graphic, at right). These in turn are thought to be promising in a series of life-sciences therapeutic candidate arrays. But Starpharma can also synthesize them into materials science applications. Here's the latest:

. . .Last year, Merck struck a deal to perform a preclinical evaluation of dendrimer-based ADCs made using Starpharma’s DEP delivery technology. The deal cleared Merck to take a close look at the fruits of a drug delivery platform that is designed to yield ADCs with greater homogeneity, site specific attachment and higher drug-antibody ratios than conventional candidates. . . .

Merck has entered into a second deal that will enable it to test and characterize “a number” of DEP dendrimer conjugates designed and synthesized by Starpharma.

“We are very pleased to add this new DEP ADC program with MSD and to continue building on our partnership with them in such an innovative and valuable area. This new DEP program underlines the potential clinical and commercial value our DEP technology can deliver,” Starpharma CEO Jackie Fairley said in a statement. . . .

By the way, what Starpharma actually achieves, in the early phases of designing these DEP dendrimer conjugate candidates, is what Martin Shkreli previously claimed his distributed computing project might be able to replicate.

Don't. bet. on. it. Onward. . . grinning -- ever grinning. Baby-grrls, tomorrow.

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