UTS spin-out Auspherix is hoping the collaboration will lead to a clinical drug candidate.
Auspherix, a spin-out of University of Technology Sydney (UTS), is entering a collaboration agreement with Domainex, an England-based drug discovery company. The aim of the partnership is to develop a clinical drug candidate based on Auspherix’s technology.
Auspherix, which has developed an anti-infective drug discovery programme, was spun in 2013. Its technology could allow the development of antibiotics capable of treating resistant bacterial diseases.
The company was founded by Ian Charles, director of the university’s ithree institute, and Dagmar Alber, senior research fellow. It received venture funding from Australia’s Medical Research Commercialisation Fund.
Domainex will take Auspherix’s technology and build on the spin-out’s initial work by refining small-molecule drug leads already identified. A timeline has not been announced.
Ian Charles, co-founder at Auspherix, said: “We are seeing increasing numbers of cases of drug-resistant bacteria around the world, driven by cumulative overuse of antibiotics. With the rise of resistant superbugs, we desperately need to find new ways to combat infectious diseases. We selected Domainex as our medicinal chemistry partner for this project, as its scientists are highly-experienced in the development of novel anti-infectives and we are looking forward to nominating a clinical candidate for progression into patients in due course.”
