The biotech company Crystax and pharmaceutical firm Uriach, both located at the Parc Científic de Barcelona (PCB, Barcelona Science Park), have signed a research collaboration agreement. Through this accord these two enterprises seek to join efforts to elucidate the three dimensional structure of a new pharmacological target for anti-inflammatory drugs.

The acquisition of its atomic structure in 3-D, until now unknown, will greatly facilitate the development of drugs as it will allow rational drug design and optimisation.

The 3-D structure of the protein will be elucidated through crystallography of biological molecules, a technique based on the acquisition of small crystals of the pharmacological target. Once these crystals have been obtained, new drugs are tested to experimentally visualise how they bond to their biological target, and can thus be redesigned.

Crystax is a pioneering enterprise in Spain in the use of X-ray diffraction applied to the discovery and design of new drugs. Through this technique, which uses x-rays produces by a particle accelerators named synchrotrons, molecules can be observed in great detail. At present no synchrotron is available in Spain and the technique is performed in other European countries. However, in the near future a synchrotron will be build in El Vallès, Barcelona. This new particle accelerator is scheduled to open in 2008.

Founded in 1838, Uriach is one of Spain’s leading pharmaceutical firms. It has a first-class R+D centre whose activities focus on the first stages of drug discovery in the field of inflammation.