Phylogica to collaborate with Canadian biotech

Perth-based Phylogica (ASX:PYC) has entered into an international collaboration agreement with Canadian biotechnology company Axela Biosensors to fast track the discovery new drug candidates for inflammatory disease.

Axela will be applying its novel screening technology known as DOT, Diffractive Optics Technology on Phylogica's large pool of phylomer drug candidates.

"It is about two technologies coming together to see if there are synergies there," said Phylogica CEO Stewart Washer. "If it works it is a very rapid was of getting to the right lead drug candidate. The fact that they have come to us is a good sign for the company -- it is a cost-free leverage and if it works on phylomers they will promote their own technology as well as ours."

The Axela DOT sensor and reader is designed to analyse the interaction between antibodies, proteins or other smaller molecules, using diffracted light. In the case of phylomers, it will analyse the interaction binding between the smaller phylomers and the larger target proteins that underpin anti-inflammatory disease. Phylomer drug candidates are selected because of their ability to bind and block target proteins, preventing the disease process.

Phylomers have been selected because they represent a unique kind of small protein fragments known as peptides, which have the potential to act as drugs by blocking a disease process at the protein level.

This is the eighth collaboration Phylogica has established in the last six months. Phylogica's other collaborations include: the Perth-based McComb Foundation, John Hopkins University, Massachusetts General Hospital, the University of Western Australia, Melbourne University, the Fox Chase Cancer Centre and PharmAust.