Cambridge Combinatorial, which specialises in the provision of world class combinatorial chemistry services, has signed an agreement with RiboTargets, the start-up biotechnology company specialising in the discovery of therapeutic compounds which act at the RNA level.

The collaboration is to produce combinatorial libraries of RNA inhibitors which ultimately will become [therapeutic compounds]. RNA is the key intermediary in converting genetic information, carried by DNA, into proteins which are essential for life. If, for example, specific RNA regions within a bacteria or virus are inhibited, these essential proteins are not produced and the bacteria or virus cannot survive.

The collaboration is initially for six months with an option for RiboTargets to extend the deal at a later stage.

Allan Marchington, Chief Executive of Cambridge Combinatorial said:

"We are delighted to be working with RiboTargets, and assist them in the development of this innovative approach to the treatment of disease. Collaborating with a new company in such a novel area of medical research is exciting and demonstrates how our expertise in both medicinal and combinatorial chemistry can be of value to small biopharmaceutical companies, as well as large pharmaceutical organisations."

Simon Sturge, Chief Executive of RiboTargets commented:

Cambridge Combinatorial Limited
Cambridge Combinatorial Limited specialises in the design, production and supply of chemical compounds for the drug discovery industry. Headed by Dr Allan Marchington, Chief Executive, and Dr Ryszard Kobylecki, Technical Director, both ex-Pfizer medicinal chemists, the company was established with a £2 million investment from Oxford Molecular Group, the management, founding scientists and the University of Cambridge (through its intellectual property company, Cambridge University Technical Services Limited). The new Cambridge-based company employs recent advances in combinatorial chemistry, methods which allow the rapid synthesis of many thousands of diverse compounds, to supply the pharmaceutical and emerging biotechnology industries with a collection of drug-like characterised structures from which active compounds can be identified.