Research
partnership includes assay development, validation and screening for new small
molecule antiviral drug leads
One of the most common and serious infectious
diseases, Hepatitis B, is to be targeted in a new collaborative venture between
the internationally-renowned translational research institute, Institut Pasteur
Korea (IP-K), and the Korean arm of the leading global healthcare company,
Sanofi-Aventis Korea. The goal is to develop and validate a high throughput
assay to screen IP-K's chemical libraries for novel compounds that can be
developed as new drugs.
Despite the availability of medicines and a
vaccine, about 5% of the global population, that is about 350 million people
worldwide, is chronic carrier of the hepatitis B virus (HBV). A proportion of
those chronically infected - as high as 8% of the population in some Asian countries,
including Korea and China - is under risk of deterioration into liver cirrhosis
and cancer.
"This new research collaboration provides
a textbook example of modern drug discovery in action," says Dr. Marc
Windisch, who will lead the team at IP-K. "It brings promising basic
research from an academic laboratory - that of Dr. Wang-Shik Ryu of the
Department of Biochemistry at Yonsei University in Seoul - into the
high-throughput translational research environment at IP-K." IP-K
researchers are developing cellular models enabling the identification of
inhibitors that target a specific step in the viral life cycle. Once perfected,
those cellular models will be used to comprehensively screen IP-K's compound
libraries for novel antiviral interventions.
The development work at IP-K will be
undertaken in partnership with research scientists from Sanofi, which will help
to take the lead of promising compounds through optimization, development and
commercialization. "Our open innovation strategy is to elucidate
Asian-specific diseases and to collaborate with leading institutions",
said Frank Jiang, VP and Head of TSU Asia Pacific R&D at Sanofi. "The
translational capabilities of IP-K will facilitate the discovery of drugs based
on novel mechanisms to combat HBV, which is responsible for 38% of all cancer
deaths in Korea".
Currently, most available HBV drugs inhibit
reverse transcription, the process by which the virus RNA is transcribed into
DNA for replication. However, new therapies are needed to compensate for the
emerging resistance of the virus to these drugs. In contrast to the existing
approaches, the IP-K screening effort focuses on compounds that interfere with
the assembly of the HBV capsid, the outer shell of the virus. This approach is
aimed at preventing the release of infectious virus particles into the
bloodstream, thereby reducing the viral load in patients.
The leaders of the collaborating organizations
share enthusiasm for the project. "We are excited to pave the way for
connecting an excellent research output of Yonsei University to Sanofi, a
global healthcare leader. This is a sophisticated approach that will accelerate
the discovery of drugs to combat HBV," explains Dr. Ulf Nehrbass, CEO of
IP-K. "It reduces cost, opens the door to entirely new classes of drugs,
and offers new insights into the mechanisms of disease." Dr. Jae Eun Kim,
the team leader at Sanofi also expects successful research achievements, and
said, "This project will be a great opportunity to open a new era in HBV
treatment.
Under the terms of condition, Sanofi will fund
the initial phase of the project that is anticipated to last for one year, from
which IP-K and Sanofi staff will jointly determine which compounds should be
brought forward for optimization and further development. It is, "one of
the foremost projects on HBV drug development being undertaken today and the
new therapy will significantly increase possibility for complete recovery from
Hepatitis B when supplemented by the current treatments." adds Dr.
Wang-Shik Ryu.
Source: Institut Pasteur Korea
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