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Biotech / Medical : Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: rkrw who wrote (551)	1/3/2002 11:11:23 PM
From: Miljenko Zuanic	Respond to of 1169

What is going on with eight clinical programs? Thursday January 3, 4:00 pm Eastern Time Press Release SOURCE: Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated Aurora Biosciences Signs Assay Development and Screening Collaboration with Allergan SAN DIEGO and IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Aurora Biosciences Corporation today announced a collaboration with Allergan (NYSE: AGN - news) to develop functional cell-based assays for several key G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) targets, and to screen these targets to identify lead drug candidates. GPCRs are a structurally related target class of cell surface proteins that may play key roles in cellular communication and modulate a variety of biological pathways implicated in the onset and progression of many major human diseases. Allergan and Aurora also recently expanded their existing ion channel collaboration, which was originally signed in January 2001. Under the agreement, Aurora will develop and screen functional cell-based assays using Aurora's proprietary Biosensor cell lines and GeneBLAzer(TM) beta-lactamase reporter gene technology to pursue GPCR targets identified and provided by Allergan. Financial terms of the collaboration were not disclosed. This agreement includes an up-front payment to Aurora and payments upon achievement of certain research performance milestones. If lead compounds are identified using screens generated through the collaboration, Aurora will also receive development milestone payments and royalties on the sale of any products that are generated from this collaboration.