Date: 2012-07-05
Type of information: Services contract
Compound: membrane protein services
Company: Calixar (France) Synthelis (France)
Therapeutic area:
Type agreement: collaboration
services
Action mechanism:
Disease:
Details: Calixar, a company specialized in the isolation and crystallization of native and functional membrane proteins, and Synthelis, which is specialized in the production and vectorization of these same molecules, have entered into an alliance for the production and isolation of all types of target membrane proteins. The results of this collaboration will have applications ranging from the development of antibodies to the discovery of new drugs, including the determination of the structure of these targets and vaccine formulations. Instead of trying to produce these proteins themselves, users will be given access to state-of-the-art production and purification technologies, enabling them to concentrate on their core activities.
The agreement provides for Synthelis to utilize its molecular biology know-how, deployed in multi-expression-systems and functional characterization configuration, to underpin the production phase. Calixar will be responsible for the possible upstream identification and subsequent isolation, purification, stabilization and crystallization of targeted membrane proteins. Calixar’s technology has already been validated in some 20 targets (including GPCR receptors, ionic channels, transporters and viral proteins) and its approach makes it possible to preserve the native conformation of membrane proteins in solution after their extraction and purification from any biological system.
Alongside Calixar’s results, Synthelis has validated its technology on more than 50 membrane targets. The production processes it has developed are also known to avoid the denaturization of membrane proteins while ensuring they have a high level of expression and activity. Moreover, Synthelis can produce large quantities (several mg) in two to three months, whereas traditional processes take up to a year.
The companies are going to undertake joint marketing campaigns to promote their product offer. Outside Europe, they also aim to get themselves known in North America and Asia.
Calixar was co-founded by Emmanuel Dejean and Pierre Falson in January 2011. It is housed within the Institute of Biology and Protein Chemistry (CNRS-Lyon University) in Lyon.
Synthelis was established in Grenoble in January 2011 to exploit the work of Prof. Jean-Luc Lenormand of Joseph Fourier University. The company was co-founded by Bruno Tiller and Jean-Luc Lenormand after being operationally incubated at Floralis–UJF Filiale and Grain. It is now being supported in its development by the Grenoble-based Pétale network.
Financial terms:
Latest news:
