AstraZeneca in NMR collaborative deal with Conformetrix

In what is the first collaborative deal for Manchester, UK-based Conformetrix, the company has entered into an accord with Anglo-Swedish drug major AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN) for use of its proprietary NMR-based technology to be applied across AstraZeneca's preclinical therapeutic pipeline to enhance lead discovery and hit identification.

In addition to an undisclosed upfront payment, Conformetrix will receive research funding and be eligible for milestones as certain targets are met. The discovery program will be managed by a joint AstraZeneca-Conformetrix research team.

Conformetrix’ technology determines accurate three-dimensional structures - or conformations - of drug molecules in their bioactive states. This is achieved without the need for traditional structural information regarding the protein target of each drug and provides researchers with valuable information on how development-stage compounds are likely to interact with their targets.