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Working together to find new therapies against cancer

By 21 de February de 2012November 18th, 2020No Comments
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 21.02.2012

Working together to find new therapies against cancer

Leitat, the University Institute of Science and Technology (IUCT) and JPT Peptide-Technologies GmbH –subsidiary of Bion-Tech AG (Germany)– will collaborate on the joint development of an enhanced anticancer therapy based on the biofocused targeting of nucleoside analogs linked to small cyclic peptidomimetics. The Biomed Division of Leitat is located in the Parc Científic Barcelona.


The project has received funding of the EuroTransbio Initiative.The goal is to create novel chemotherapeutic products exhibiting an enhanced safety and efficacy profile by selectively targeting inactive cytotoxic compounds toward tumor cells.

The members of Leitat’s Biomed Division, located at the Barcelona Science Park, have over 15 years experience in biomedical research in the field of oncology, developed at Merck KGaA, a multinational pharmaceutical company. The Biomed Division’s basic objective is to generate new and innovative drugs for cancer treatment, including the following as targets: the tumour cells themselves, stromal cells, tumour angiogenesis and cancer stem cells.

The company JPT has a long history in the identification of peptides and their therapeutic potential in drug development. The managing director, Holger Wenschuh said that “previous scientific work between IUCT and Leitat has laid a solid foundation for applying our peptide focused medicinal chemistry experience and capabilities to systematically amend physicochemical properties of the target compounds creating optimized functional profiles.”

IUCT and Leitat have worked together to develop new therapies against neoplastic diseases for several years. “With JPT we have found a reliable partner which complements our expertise in the creation of new compounds against cancer,” said Josep Castells, IUCT CEO.

IUCT main business line, founded in 1997, is drug knowledge transfer and R&D, industrial biotechnology and green chemistry. In the field of drug discovery, IUCT has experience in the information related to cancer, viral diseases, CNS disorders, inflammation, pain and osteoarthritis. And in the biotechnology industry, has developed a platform that allows the synthesis of many complex molecules that are not easily accessible by chemical synthesis methods.

For further information