BioBlocks, MannKind Continue Discovery Partnership

BioBlocks, Inc. and outsourcing partner, MannKind Corp., will continue their lead optimization collaboration. The two companies have worked together since January 2007, and have met milestones utilizing BioBlocks’ expertise in medicinal chemistry and lead optimization and Mannkind’s experience with novel therapeutic modalities. According to the companies, the success of the partnership is attributed to the focus on integrating project management towards a results-based collaboration, as opposed to fee-for-service outsourcing. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Based on its progress with certain drug targets, MannKind was able to explore new mechanisms of action for a first-in-class therapeutic for an important disease indication. BioBlocks led the group to a series of potent, selective, and efficacious lead compounds over a period of 18 months. The project utilized BioBlocks’ facility in Budapest, Hungary to maximize medicinal chemistry FTE resources, including sophisticated chemistries, chemical series development, and cheminformatics.
   
Qingping Zeng, associate director, medicinal chemistry and lead discovery of MannKind, said, “Our lead discovery and optimization collaboration with BioBlocks has helped us reach important milestones in our first project with them, leading to increased momentum and visibility for the initiative. We have found BioBlocks’ results-oriented medicinal chemistry approach to be a very valuable asset to our drug discovery programs, and we are pleased to continue our collaboration with them.”