uk partner

Domantis Limited, the UK drug discovery company in which Australian biotechnology company Peptech holds a 36.1 per cent interest, has signed an agreement with Argenta Discovery.

The agreement will see the companies co-develop the fully human Domain Antibody (dAbs) therapeutics for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other respiratory diseases.

The worldwide market for COPD therapies is expected to grow to more than A$17 billion by 2010.

The World Health Organisation estimates COPD will be the third leading cause of death worldwide by 2020.

At present there are no marketed therapies that slow, halt or reverse the disease itself.

Peptech Executive Chairman, Mel Bridges, said that dAbs are well suited to pulmonary delivery via inhalation and represent a new approach in treating respiratory diseases.

“This collaboration is evidence both of the value of dAbs and that Domantis’ aggressive commercialisation plans are well under way,” Mr Bridges said