Max Planck & AiCuris Partner up for Anti-Infectives
Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology (MPI) and AiCuris Anti-infective Cures GmbH, a leading company in the discovery and development of innovative drugs targeting infectious diseases are now going to collaborate on an anti-infectives project.
The collaboration “is based on a long-lasting scientific partnership and joint research interests,” AiCuris and MPI stated, adding: “It aims to further strengthen the already existing relationship to fuel an in-depth collaboration.”
Under the terms of the new agreement, AiCuris will gain access to the proprietary collection of natural product inspired substances from the MPI. AiCuris in partnership with the research group of Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Waldmann, Director of the Chemical Biology Department at the MPI, will jointly investigate and optimize compounds that are active against bacteria or viruses and have the potential to be developed into anti-infective drugs.
“We strongly believe the development of new antibacterial drugs is crucial to combat antibiotic resistant bacteria that is killing around 25,000 people every year in Europe”, said Dr. Holger Zimmermann, CEO of AiCuris Anti-infective Cures GmbH. “One way to develop a resistance-breaking drug is to disregard well-trodden paths and explore new opportunities. We are very excited to be working with the MPI and its proprietary library of nature-derived compounds as nature has often proven to be the perfect blueprint for innovative concepts.”
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Waldmann added, “Novel antibiotics are in high demand due to the global rise of resistance to existing drugs. Natural products have been an invaluable source of novel antibiotics, and the concepts developed at MPI Dortmund for the design and synthesis of novel natural product inspired compounds could pave the way to the discovery of new drugs. The expertise of MPI scientists in chemical biology partnered with AiCuris proven experience in drug development could result in the discovery and development of innovative approaches to fight bacterial and viral resistance.”
