Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq:HALO), a biopharmaceutical company developing and commercializing products targeting the extracellular matrix, today announced the signing of an exclusive, worldwide, contract research collaboration agreement with BioAtla, LLC for the development of novel high throughput recombinant protein screening libraries directed against targets in oncology, aesthetic dermatology and inflammation.
During the initial three year term of the research collaboration, Halozyme will receive exclusive worldwide commercial rights from BioAtla to conditionally active biologics (CABs) that arise from the agreement.
“This research initiative utilizing BioAtla’s technology is an extension of an existing collaboration that has been successful in generating temperature controlled matrix metalloproteinase enzymes”
The objectives of this program are to generate novel CABs that interact with their targets under highly specific, predefined conditions in the body. Halozyme will leverage its expertise in the extracellular matrix and experience targeting unique tissue microenvironments to identify, generate, and develop biologics directed against both novel and existing targets. BioAtla will apply its proprietary gene synthesis and high throughput expression screening expertise in the library generation and screening of protein analogs with evolved specificity and activity.
“This research initiative utilizing BioAtla’s technology is an extension of an existing collaboration that has been successful in generating temperature controlled matrix metalloproteinase enzymes,” stated Gregory I. Frost, Ph.D., Halozyme’s chief scientific officer. “We believe that evolving protein analogs with properties to produce more controlled and directed therapeutic activity could lead to safer and more effective medicines with fewer side effects.”
Halozyme anticipates that basic research on the first compound covered by the agreement will be underway during the second half of 2010. Specific financial terms of the contract have not been disclosed.
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