Pfizer ($PFE) has turned to Australia's Phylogica for help in finding a new generation of peptide-based vaccines. In exchange for $500,000 upfront and up to $134 million in milestones, Phylogica will deploy its Phylomers technology on Pfizer's behalf.
Phylomer peptides are based on work originated at Perth's Telethon Institute for Child Health Research and the Fox Chase Cancer Center. Researchers believe that by relying on peptides derived from natural sequences, they can create vaccines with stable structures which can bind tightly and specifically to disease-associated target proteins, both inside and outside cells.
"This alliance supports the potential utility of Phylogica's Phylomer drug discovery platform for peptide-based drug discovery," said company CEO Dr. Paul Watt. "With the present announcement, Phylogica has now entered into three alliances with global pharmaceutical companies within the last 12 months."
- check out the Phylogica release
- here's the story from the Sydney Morning Herald