NovAliX Enters into Agreement with Max Planck Spin-off

Denis Zeyer, chief executive officer of NovAliX

NovAliX, a drug discovery-focused Contract Research Organization (CRO) today announces that it has signed a cooperation agreement with German-based ProteoPlex GmbH, a spin-off company of the Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry (MPIBPC). Under the terms of the agreement, NovAliX will exclusively offer to pharmaceutical companies purified human 20S proteasome as well as structural biology analysis by X-ray crystallography of the protein complex.

Proteasomes are promising targets for cancer drug development, including multiple myeloma, as well as for hematological malignancies. Proteasomes are cellular waste disposal units. Cancer cells heavily rely on them to dispose of their large amounts of waste. If this waste disposal is inhibited, apoptotic cell death ensues.

ProteoPlex itself has exclusive access to Max-Planck patents and know-how concerning the optimized production, purification and crystallization of high-grade proteins. For the 20S proteasome, these novel crystal structures could enable the discovery of improved chemical mechanisms for the inhibition of this proteasome.

According to the agreement, NovAliX will initially have exclusive access to these ultra-high-quality 20S proteasomes and to other clinically relevant protein structures in the future.

“We are delighted that, thanks to our cooperation with ProteoPlex, we can strengthen our expertise in structural biology and we can offer these high-quality proteasomes to the pharmaceutical industry for oncology research,” said Denis Zeyer, chief executive officer of NovAliX. “We have a well-established relationship with the Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry thanks to our cooperation in the field of cryo-electron microscopy. We are delighted to be extending that partnership.”

“NovAliX is a perfect partner for us to translate the results of Max-Planck’s basic research into market-relevant products,” said Joerg Wamser, co-founder and managing director of ProteoPlex GmbH.

Proteasomes have an enormous potential market; for example the global multiple myeloma market is expected to reach $37.5 billion (€30.3bn) by 2024.

NovAliX offers a unique collaborative model for drug discovery programs. Unlike traditional outsourcing services, where the program is assigned to an external partner, NovAliX’s novel insourcing /co-located research model combines the expertise of both internal and external resources for achieving best results through close interaction, seamless communication and streamlined workflow. NovAliX has seven research sites across Europe; all operating on the co-located research program model.