Avacta Group PLC JV AffyXell agrees drug development collaboration

Avacta Group PLC (AIM:AVCT) said AffyXell Therapeutics, its joint venture with Daewoong Pharmaceutical, has entered into a collaboration with Chinese biological drugs developer Biocytogen and the Korea Non-Clinical Technology Solution Centre (KNTSC).

The collaboration is aimed at developing new immune disease in vivo models and carrying out proof-of-concept and toxicity testing of AffyXell’s drug candidates using the developed disease models, Avacta, the clinical-stage oncology drug company, said in a statement.

These new models will benefit from Biocytogen’s platform for gene editing, which creates mouse models capable of producing human antibodies.

The collaboration is designed to improve the translation of AffyXell’s programmes into human trials and accelerate drug development.

The KNTSC’s role is to provide the infrastructure and overall management for pre-clinical trials.

“The quality of pre-clinical disease models and their ability to translate into humans is critical for reducing risk and timelines associated with drug development,” commented Avacta CEO Dr Alastair Smith. “This collaboration has the potential to significantly accelerate AffyXell’s programmes.”

Sengho Jeon, CEO of Daewoong Pharmaceutical and AffyXell, added: “Through this contract, the capabilities of the three companies can exert a synergistic effect, providing a foundation for speeding up the development of new drugs. In the future, we will further accelerate the development of cell gene therapy to overcome immune diseases and contribute to improving the quality of life of patients with incurable diseases.”