Ariana Pharmaceuticals extends its exclusive deal with the CNRS
Paris and Cambridge UK, December, 15, 2003 -- Ariana Pharmaceuticals, a drug discovery company combining artificial intelligence and experimental methods to predict the behavior of novel molecules, today announced an extension of its collaboration with the CNRS (Centre National de Recherche Scientifique, France's premier research organization). Under this collaboration the company has negotiated exclusive access, in the life sciences field, to use the AI technology developed jointly by Ariana and the Laboratoire d'Informatique, de Robotique et de Micro-électronique de Montpellier (LIRMM), the CNRS lab in Montpellier France. In this, Ariana joins a number of large companies that have previously licensed the technology to use in fields as diverse as banking, the nuclear industry and legal consultancy. The collaboration with CNRS will focus on further developing Ariana's unique Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology that it believes has the potential to significantly decrease drug discovery timelines by improving the prediction of the quality profile of molecules. "Quality" molecules need to display desirable properties: good Absorption and Distribution, good Metabolism and Excretion profiles and limited Toxicity (ADMET). The parallel optimization of these multiple properties remains a major challenge as approaches to date have been unable to make predictions about molecules that are not related to already known examples (thus ignoring many novel candidates) or to make computer-aided predictions that are easy to interpret and use. Ariana's new technology is designed to overcome these barriers and therefore impact the efficiency of drug discovery. Starting with validated targets and structural data, Ariana uses a combination of proprietary computational, crystallographic and biochemical methods to expedite early identification and optimization of quality lead molecules. Its ultra high throughput in-silico screening uses AI tools to significantly improve the process of identifying selective small molecule leads. The quality of the molecules is enhanced by including proprietary in-silico ADMET at the screening stage as well as in the multi-objective experimental optimization of molecules activity and quality., ,"Ariana is bringing together a unique technology and a team with a proven industrial track record in structure based drug discovery," says Ariana's founder and Chief Executive Officer Dr Mohammad Afshar. "This collaboration will support our ability to consistently explain reasons for our ADMET predictions and to make predictions for totally novel molecules. Drug discovery projects are often faced with multiple but conflicting objectives that are difficult to optimize in parallel. Our technology identifies the optimum balance of properties when it exists or, as importantly, rapidly flags non-druggable targets where small molecule drug therapy may not be achievable.,We expect to be an ideal partner for genomic companies with proprietary targets seeking access to confirmed drug discovery experience." "We are excited about furthering our collaboration with Ariana and the application of this technology in life sciences. This further emphasizes our commitment to establishing strong relationship with leading industrial partners," said Ronan Stephan, Director for Industrial Relations at the CNRS.,
Countries
France, United Kingdom