An existing collaboration at the multinational's Mölndal site in Sweden will now be expanded across AstraZeneca's development programmes.
The new deal not only provides an endorsement of Cyprotex' screening technology, but also marks a continuing shift in drug discovery to explore the 'druggability' of compounds as early as possible in the development process.
The agreement will make use of Cyprotex' Cloe Screen, an in vitro system that profiles new compounds for a variety of properties that affect their ability to be processed by the body.
Cyprotex will deliver data regarding the absorption of AstraZeneca's compounds through the gut, whether it is pumped back in again and classification of the compounds into high, medium or low permeability. The assay can be performed on batches of up to 94 compounds at a time.
This is useful information for prioritising the best compounds to elevate into the next stages of drug development - saving time and money by enabling an early focus on compounds with the greatest potential to succeed as drugs.
Under the terms of the agreement, Cyprotex will analyse monthly batches of AstraZeneca's compounds over a six-month period.
