MRC Technology and Chinese Academy of Science extend collaboration to identify new targets for drug discovery

MRC Technology, a technology transfer organisation, announced today that it has extended its existing drug discovery collaboration with the Shanghai Institute of Biotechnology and Cell Biology (SIBCB), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). In the new agreement MRC Technology will give SIBCB access to its unique compound library which will be used to screen novel targets derived from SIBCB research.

The collaboration combines SIBCB’s research expertise in generating potential new drug targets with MRC Technology’s drug discovery experience in  taking novel early stage targets through to lead/candidate stage small molecules. It aims to fast track innovative targets to create potent and selective novel therapeutics, support translational research in China and deliver validated projects to MRC Technology’s Centre for Therapeutics Discovery.

The latest stage in this ongoing collaboration was formalised at a signing ceremony held in China and attended by senior members of both organisations, including Dr Michael Dalrymple (Director of Business Development, MRC Technology) and Professor Naihe Jing (Executive Director, SIBCB).

Dr Michael Dalrymple commented, “We are delighted to be building on an already strong partnership with SIBCB as one of the world’s leading academic research institutions. In this latest phase, by sharing our compound library we hope to further expedite the delivery of drugs for the treatment of diseases of global significance.”