PRECOS and Argenta extend collaboration in oncology drug discovery services
Preclinical Oncology Services Limited (PRECOS) has extended its alliance with Argenta to continue providing comprehensive oncology-focussed drug discovery services.
Argenta, a service division of Galapagos NV, provides fully integrated drug discovery services to a range of leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies worldwide. According to the companies, the five-year extension of the alliance will allow both companies to offer expertise in cancer research to their pharmaceutical clients.
PRECOS offers advanced patient-relevant in vivo models which closely reflect the clinical situation for each aspect of cancer progression, encompassing pre-cancerous lesions, primary tumours and metastasis. This ability to create cell lines from patient primary tissues that "never see plastic" means that cell lines are not selected based on their ability to survive in vitro, but on their true characteristics as cancer cells.
Argenta said it can now incorporate PRECOS' specialist in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo cancer models and scientific expertise into its integrated oncology drug discovery service offering, from hit identification through lead optimisation and in vivo "proof-of-concept" to clinical candidate selection.
"Argenta has an excellent reputation for providing first class contract drug discovery services to the global pharmaceutical industry; especially in oncology," comments Professor Sue Watson, Chief Scientific Officer, PRECOS. "We are looking forward to working with Argenta across a number of ongoing cancer-focused contract research programmes, in addition to various major projects currently in the pipeline. This agreement further demonstrates our business growth and commitment to providing innovative drug discovery services."
Dr John Montana, Managing Director of Argenta added, "PRECOS is a world leader in oncology preclinical research services. Through this alliance our pharmaceutical clients are able to benefit from seamless access to PRECOS' models and scientists. We are excited to have PRECOS as a key extension of our team, working in partnership with our experienced oncology drug discovery scientists."
