CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Archemix Corporation, a privately held biotechnology company founded in May 2001, has just acquired the exclusive license, with the right to sub-license, to aptamer-based intellectual property from Gilead Sciences for $17.5 million. With this acquisition, Archemix now has a broad spectrum of nucleic acid-based tools for molecular recognition to be used in the drug discovery and development process.
``With the combination of this newly acquired aptamer technology and our own patented, nucleic acid-based biosensors -- RiboReporters(TM) -- we are able to measure the level, and more importantly, the state, of any molecule,'' says Dr. Martin Stanton, President of Archemix. ``Based on this technology, we are developing platforms that can be used both in vitro and in vivo to take a snapshot of the level and state of all major networks of proteins inside a cell. These tools allow us to identify and validate drug targets, and to examine the response of cells to new drug compounds. For example, we will be able to take a snapshot of the cell both before and after administering a drug, and then detect every difference induced by that drug. This is an important and powerful technology that has a vast array of applications.''
Archemix has developed aptamer and RiboReporter(TM) technologies to perform both in vitro and in vivo multiplex assays that can monitor several pathways or proteins in a single assay. ``The technology platform created by Archemix provides a novel approach to the identification and validation of molecular targets for drug discovery and the rapid subtyping of molecular pathologies responsible for disease,'' adds Dr. George Poste, Chairman of Archemix's Scientific Advisory Board. Using this technology, Archemix is also developing novel screens that will improve the process of evaluating the specificity and the potential for toxicity of new compounds at a very early stage of the drug discovery process.
The Gilead licenses complement the existing Archemix intellectual property estate. Shortly after its founding in May 2001, Archemix entered into a strategic partnership with Ribozyme Pharmaceutical Inc. (RPI), receiving licenses and sub-licenses to RPI's allosteric ribozyme technology for use in detecting proteins in connection with drug development and in a wide range of other molecular detection applications. Other intellectual property includes Archemix's own internal patent portfolio, as well as patents licensed from Yale University for allosteric ribozyme sensor development, and from Brandeis University for biosensor development. Dr. Ronald Breaker of Yale University, and Dr. Andrew Ellington, two of Archemix's founders, published pivotal articles on this new technology in the April and July 2001 issues of the journal Nature Biotechnology.
Archemix, in assembling its comprehensive array of nucleic acid-based detection tools, now has the exclusive rights to over 200 issued patents in the fields of therapeutics, drug discovery, proteomics and molecular detection.
``This is a bold move for Archemix. All the investors felt that the potential of the platform was broad enough to justify this acquisition,'' says Jean-Francois Formela, Senior Principal of Atlas Venture.
``I know of no other venture-backed biotech company that has started with an intellectual property portfolio as rich and comprehensive as Archemix,'' says Alex Barkas, Managing Partner of Prospect Venture Partners, another founding investor in Archemix.
RiboReporters(TM)
Archemix's core technology is based on RiboReporters(TM), single-molecule biosensors that are the next generation of detection molecules. Like antibodies or aptamers (the nucleic acid equivalents of antibodies), RiboReporters(TM) bind to molecular targets, but, in addition, they also generate a signal upon binding. These nano-sensors act as beacons, directly linking molecular recognition to the generation of a detectable signal. Unlike any other technology known today, RiboReporters(TM) can measure the presence or state of any compound, including drugs, metabolites and proteins, in a complex mixture in real time in live cells. They make it possible to characterize, with unprecedented speed and accuracy, drug targets and leads virtually simultaneously, thereby expediting the search for new therapeutics.
Archemix's RiboReporter(TM) platform is based on the ability to engineer ribozymes into molecular switches that can be turned on or off by the presence of a specific target, such as a protein. These RiboReporters(TM) deliver nuanced, quantifiable information, such as location, function and concentration of a compound or protein within a cell. They can be used at each stage of the drug discovery process - from target discovery and validation, to cellular and animal testing, and finally, in clinical trials. As such, RiboReporters(TM) have the potential to integrate the analytical profiling of biological processes across all phases of the research and development process.
Aptamers
Aptamers, licensed to Archemix by Gilead, are three-dimensional nucleic acids that bind to molecular targets in a manner conceptually similar to antibodies. Aptamers, like antibodies, have potential in a broad range of applications including therapeutics, tools for drug discovery and target validation, and affinity capture reagents.
Founders
Along with Archemix's academic founders, Dr. Ronald Breaker (Yale University) and Dr. Andrew Ellington (University of Texas, Austin), who are pioneers in the development and use of evolved nucleic acid ligands, such as aptamers and RiboReporters(TM), the company's founding team is lead by Dr. Martin Stanton (formerly of Brandeis University), Dr. David Epstein (formerly of Bayer Corporation), Dr. Charles Wilson (formerly of University of California, Santa Cruz), and Ms. Jane Sheng, MBA (HiQ Computers), each of whom has joined Archemix's scientific and operations management team.
Scientific Advisory Board
Archemix's distinguished Scientific Advisory Board, which will assist management in setting the company's scientific and technological objectives, was recently formed. The Board includes: Stephen J. Benkovic, Pennsylvania State University; Lawrence Blatt, RPI, Ronald R. Breaker, Yale University; Andrew D. Ellington, University of Texas; George Poste, Health Technology Networks; George M. Whitesides, Harvard University; and Peter E. Wright, The Scripps Research Institute.
Investors
Venture capital investors in Archemix's $8.25 million Series A funding, completed in May 2001, include Atlas Venture, Prospect Venture Partners, and Rho Ventures. Archemix Board members include Jean-Francois Formela from Atlas Venture; Alex Barkas from Prospect Venture Partners; Nassim Usman from RPI; Michael Pavia, Chief Technology Officer at Millennium Pharmaceuticals; and David Epstein and Martin Stanton from Archemix.
Partners, Future Applications
Archemix has partnered with researchers at Duke University, Yale University, the University of Texas at Austin, and Brandeis University to develop novel applications of RiboReporters(TM) in disease and systems biology. Archemix is currently focusing its efforts on developing and exploiting RiboReporter(TM) and aptamer platforms for drug discovery. Additionally, Archemix is working with its partners to aggressively out-license and exploit its RiboReporter(TM) and aptamer technology in a wide range of applications, including therapeutics, microbial engineering, identifying environmental toxins, detecting contaminants in food or water, and in performing a range of other industrial control applications.
For more information on Archemix (http://www.archemix.com), its partners, its core technologies and intellectual property, or to speak with Dr. Stanton, please call Davia B. Temin at 212-588-8788. |
