News
Wednesday 20th May 2009 - Glythera advances key technologies in therapeutic protein engineering:
Glythera Ltd., today announces the formal commencement of commercialisation of its proprietary PermaLinkTM and PermaCarbTM platform technologies. Glythera Ltd., based in Bath, UK has core expertise in protein/peptide functionalisation and glycosylation technologies.
Proteins are the fastest growing class of new drug to emerge from the genomics revolution. Addressing diseases as diverse as cancer, arthritis and viral infection, a major limitation to protein drugs is their short action and immune effects, which mean frequent and expensive dosing, and high production costs. Glythera technology is the basis for a new generation of these 'biologic' drugs, enabling cheaper manufacture, fewer injections and greater efficacy.
Glythera has two unique technologies, PermalinkTM and PermaCarbTM. These offer the real possibility of imparting improved pharmacokinetic properties to biological therapeutics. Speaking about the technical milestones, Executive Chairman, Dr Anthony Baxter said "I'm delighted to say we've demonstrated with our PermalinkTM technology that we've been able to functionalise surface cysteine residues through a stable thio-ether bond, and shown the potential for improved selectivity and control of PEGylation over maleimide methodology. In parallel, we continue to make good progress with PermaCarbTM, novel glycosylation groups resistant to enzymatic degradation by exo-glycosidases".
Glythera has now commenced a programme of pre-clinical drug development on a systemic biologic. The company has an existing collaboration to modify antibody fragments and is seeking new collaborations to extend its interests into developing follow-on-biologics. The Glythera technology will strongly compliment systemic proteins and peptides where it believes the combined technologies of PermaLinkTM and PermaCarbTM will provide improved pharmacokinetic profiles for next generation therapeutics.
Dr Baxter and other members of the Glythera team will be in attendance at this year's 2009 Bio International Conference in May offering the opportunity for leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to partner with Glythera.
About Glythera
Glythera Ltd. is the latest spin-out company from the University of Bath and the first as part of the University's long term partnership with IP Group plc. Glythera, has raised £500k in tranched investment subject to the satisfaction of technical milestones from the University of Bath Crescent Seedcorn fund, IP Group and a Grant for Research and Development provided by the South West RDA to develop and commercialise its PermalinkTM and PermaCarbTM Technologies.
Protein biologics or therapeutics includes recombinant proteins and antibodies where the majority are found in the body as glycoproteins following the addition of complex carbohydrate groups. These modifications with complex carbohydrates influence protein folding, solubility, bioactivity and the rate of clearance from the blood. Glythera offers the two exciting new platform technologies to facilitate the addition of novel carbohydrate groups in vitro or the modification of existing carbohydrates; both approaches renders the carbohydrate resistant to degradation by endogenous enzymes.
PermaLinkTM is a patented proprietary technology. The new linker chemistry is designed to react efficiently with specific amino acids stably linking functional groups of your choice at defined locations on the protein surface. The chemical bond created by PermaLinkTM is stable to biological degradation in blood ensuring that the functional group remains attached. Two classes of PermaLinkTM reagents have been created with efficiency tailored for proteins and peptides.
PermaCarbTM is a novel patented technology which uses modified complex carbohydrates resistant to degradation by endogenous exo-glycosidases. PermaCarbTMs are either attached using stable PermaLinkTM technology generating homogenous and stable glycoproteins or enodogenous carbohydrates can be directly modified with PermaCarbTM technology. PermaCarbTM is designed to reduce protein clearance from the blood stream leading to improved pharmacokinetic properties. This would potentially reduce quantity and dosing frequency of biologics, thus enhancing patient quality of life and lowering cost.
Expanding biologics capability and partnerships
About the University of Bath and Bath Ventures
The University of Bath is one of the UK's leading universities, with an international reputation for research and teaching at the highest academic standard. In 2008 the University established Bath Ventures to build on its excellent track record in innovation and entrepreneurship and to maximise the return on the University's intellectual assets for the benefit of staff, the University, the economy and society. Bath Ventures identifies the University's most exciting commercial prospects, and develops opportunities for spin-out companies, licencing and academic consultancy through expert promotion, marketing, and deal negotiation. For more information and contacts see: www.bath.ac.uk/bathventures
About IP Group
IP Group is an intellectual property (IP) commercialisation company that specialises in commercialising university technology. Founded in 2001, IP Group listed on AIM in October 2003 and moved to the Official List in June 2006. It has made two acquisitions to date - Techtran, a company set up to commercialise university intellectual property under a long term contract with the University of Leeds, in 2005 and Top Technology Ventures, an investment adviser to early stage technology venture capital funds, in 2004.
IP Group has formed long-term partnerships with ten universities - the University of Oxford, King's College London, CNAP/University of York, the University of Leeds, the University of Bristol, the University of Surrey, the University of Southampton, Queen Mary (University of London), the University of Bath and the University of Glasgow.
The Company's portfolio is diverse with exposure to five main sectors - Energy & Renewables, Healthcare & Life Sciences: Non-therapeutics, Healthcare & Life Sciences: Therapeutics, IT & Communications and Chemicals & Materials. To date, eleven portfolio companies have listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange, one on PLUS Markets and there have been two trade sales.
Wednesday 20th May 2009 - Glythera advances key technologies in therapeutic protein engineering:
Glythera Ltd., today announces the formal commencement of commercialisation of its proprietary PermaLinkTM and PermaCarbTM platform technologies. Glythera Ltd., based in Bath, UK has core expertise in protein/peptide functionalisation and glycosylation technologies.
Proteins are the fastest growing class of new drug to emerge from the genomics revolution. Addressing diseases as diverse as cancer, arthritis and viral infection, a major limitation to protein drugs is their short action and immune effects, which mean frequent and expensive dosing, and high production costs. Glythera technology is the basis for a new generation of these 'biologic' drugs, enabling cheaper manufacture, fewer injections and greater efficacy.
Glythera has two unique technologies, PermalinkTM and PermaCarbTM. These offer the real possibility of imparting improved pharmacokinetic properties to biological therapeutics. Speaking about the technical milestones, Executive Chairman, Dr Anthony Baxter said "I'm delighted to say we've demonstrated with our PermalinkTM technology that we've been able to functionalise surface cysteine residues through a stable thio-ether bond, and shown the potential for improved selectivity and control of PEGylation over maleimide methodology. In parallel, we continue to make good progress with PermaCarbTM, novel glycosylation groups resistant to enzymatic degradation by exo-glycosidases".
Glythera has now commenced a programme of pre-clinical drug development on a systemic biologic. The company has an existing collaboration to modify antibody fragments and is seeking new collaborations to extend its interests into developing follow-on-biologics. The Glythera technology will strongly compliment systemic proteins and peptides where it believes the combined technologies of PermaLinkTM and PermaCarbTM will provide improved pharmacokinetic profiles for next generation therapeutics.
Dr Baxter and other members of the Glythera team will be in attendance at this year's 2009 Bio International Conference in May offering the opportunity for leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to partner with Glythera.
About Glythera
Glythera Ltd. is the latest spin-out company from the University of Bath and the first as part of the University's long term partnership with IP Group plc. Glythera, has raised £500k in tranched investment subject to the satisfaction of technical milestones from the University of Bath Crescent Seedcorn fund, IP Group and a Grant for Research and Development provided by the South West RDA to develop and commercialise its PermalinkTM and PermaCarbTM Technologies.
Protein biologics or therapeutics includes recombinant proteins and antibodies where the majority are found in the body as glycoproteins following the addition of complex carbohydrate groups. These modifications with complex carbohydrates influence protein folding, solubility, bioactivity and the rate of clearance from the blood. Glythera offers the two exciting new platform technologies to facilitate the addition of novel carbohydrate groups in vitro or the modification of existing carbohydrates; both approaches renders the carbohydrate resistant to degradation by endogenous enzymes.
PermaLinkTM is a patented proprietary technology. The new linker chemistry is designed to react efficiently with specific amino acids stably linking functional groups of your choice at defined locations on the protein surface. The chemical bond created by PermaLinkTM is stable to biological degradation in blood ensuring that the functional group remains attached. Two classes of PermaLinkTM reagents have been created with efficiency tailored for proteins and peptides.
PermaCarbTM is a novel patented technology which uses modified complex carbohydrates resistant to degradation by endogenous exo-glycosidases. PermaCarbTMs are either attached using stable PermaLinkTM technology generating homogenous and stable glycoproteins or enodogenous carbohydrates can be directly modified with PermaCarbTM technology. PermaCarbTM is designed to reduce protein clearance from the blood stream leading to improved pharmacokinetic properties. This would potentially reduce quantity and dosing frequency of biologics, thus enhancing patient quality of life and lowering cost.
Expanding biologics capability and partnerships
About the University of Bath and Bath Ventures
The University of Bath is one of the UK's leading universities, with an international reputation for research and teaching at the highest academic standard. In 2008 the University established Bath Ventures to build on its excellent track record in innovation and entrepreneurship and to maximise the return on the University's intellectual assets for the benefit of staff, the University, the economy and society. Bath Ventures identifies the University's most exciting commercial prospects, and develops opportunities for spin-out companies, licencing and academic consultancy through expert promotion, marketing, and deal negotiation. For more information and contacts see: www.bath.ac.uk/bathventures
About IP Group
IP Group is an intellectual property (IP) commercialisation company that specialises in commercialising university technology. Founded in 2001, IP Group listed on AIM in October 2003 and moved to the Official List in June 2006. It has made two acquisitions to date - Techtran, a company set up to commercialise university intellectual property under a long term contract with the University of Leeds, in 2005 and Top Technology Ventures, an investment adviser to early stage technology venture capital funds, in 2004.
IP Group has formed long-term partnerships with ten universities - the University of Oxford, King's College London, CNAP/University of York, the University of Leeds, the University of Bristol, the University of Surrey, the University of Southampton, Queen Mary (University of London), the University of Bath and the University of Glasgow.
The Company's portfolio is diverse with exposure to five main sectors - Energy & Renewables, Healthcare & Life Sciences: Non-therapeutics, Healthcare & Life Sciences: Therapeutics, IT & Communications and Chemicals & Materials. To date, eleven portfolio companies have listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange, one on PLUS Markets and there have been two trade sales.
Archive
Aug 10: Glythera and PATH sign collaboration agreement to evaluate new conjugation technology for pneumococcal vaccines. » Read More
May 09: Glythera advances key technologies in therapeutic protein engineering.
Aug 10: Glythera and PATH sign collaboration agreement to evaluate new conjugation technology for pneumococcal vaccines. » Read More
May 09: Glythera advances key technologies in therapeutic protein engineering.