AstraZeneca and EvoRx Technologies Announce Successful Completion of Collaboration

Pasadena, California, July 9, 2015 (Newswire.com) - ​​​AstraZeneca and EvoRx Technologies successfully completed a one-year research collaboration leveraging EvoRx’s proprietary Evo-LinkTM technology to discover cell penetrating peptides for a high value intracellular protein–protein interaction target in the respiratory portfolio. The EvoRx team successfully generated peptides with sub micromolar cell activity and low drop-off from primary potency meeting the primary goal of the collaboration. AstraZeneca will continue the development of the lead candidates.

Nearly 70% of proteins implicated in diseases remain inaccessible and are considered “undruggable” with traditional therapeutic approaches. Many of these targets are intracellular protein-protein interactions (PPI). EvoRx has developed Evo-LinkTM technology, an integrated platform containing the vital elements necessary for the rapid development of highly specific, potent, cell permeable, orally bioavailable peptidic compounds exhibiting long half-lives in human serum. The compounds are highly effective at targeting intracellular protein- protein interactions.

"This collaboration allowed us to further validate our unique approach in successfully targeting intracellular protein-protein interactions thought to be undruggable," said Stephen Fiacco, CEO of EvoRx. "Our new therapeutic paradigm has the potential to be a game changer for many patients with diseases that so far have not been accessible with traditional strategies in drug discovery. This opens the door for novel treatment across many therapeutic areas.”

"Respiratory disease represents a main therapeutic area for AstraZeneca, but many disease targets are intractable to both small molecule and biologic therapy, limiting our options to discover new treatments for these life threatening and debilitating diseases. Designing potent, stable, cell penetrating peptides is also one of our industry’s biggest challenges, and so we are delighted with the outcome of our collaboration with EvoRx Technologies. By working together were able to make very significant progress on the permeability problem of our peptides while optimizing potency and stability.” said Dr Maarten Kraan, Head of the Respiratory, Inflammation and Autoimmune Diseases Innovative Medicines unit, AstraZeneca.

About EvoRx - Founded in 2011, EvoRx is a privately held, early stage biotechnology company. It strives to discover and develop innovative peptide therapeutics and targeted radiopharmaceuticals for treatment and diagnosis of disease with high unmet medical need. Its proprietary Evo-LinkTM technology rapidly generates remarkably high diversity cyclic peptide libraries. The libraries are screened for drug-like activity in environments that mimic the physiological environment of the body. The result is uniquely structured peptides that are highly stable in human serum, that have antibody-like specificity and affinity, and that are also membrane permeable. These features allow target protein interactions previously thought of as “undruggable”. For more information, visit www.evorxtechnologies.com.

About AstraZeneca - AstraZeneca is a global, innovation-driven biopharmaceutical business that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialization of prescription medicines, primarily for the treatment of cardiovascular, metabolic, respiratory, inflammation, autoimmune, oncology, infection and neuroscience diseases. AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. For more information please visit: www.astrazeneca.com.

CONTACT: EvoRx: 

Stephen Fiacco, PhD, CEO

EvoRx Technologies, Inc., 

129 N. Hill Ave, Suite 103, 

Pasadena, CA, 91106

[email protected]

(805) 570-2587