AstraZeneca in research accord with Max Planck Institute

Anglo-Swedish pharma major AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN) has entered an agreement with the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology (MPI) of Germany, to establish a ‘satellite unit’ in cardiovascular and metabolic disease (CVMD), linked to AstraZeneca’s CVMD Innovative Medicines unit (iMed) in Molndal, Sweden, to study new modalities chemistry.

The new collaboration will see AstraZeneca scientists working side-by-side with researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, in the Department of Chemical Biology, led by Herbert Waldmann. The satellite unit will focus on novel chemistry and chemical biology in areas of new modality chemistry such as stabilized peptides, macrocycles and conjugation chemistry.

Marcus Schindler, vice president and head of CVMD iMed, AstraZeneca, said: “I’m very pleased to collaborate with an internationally recognised academic institution such as the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology. Based on our excellent ongoing collaboration with Professor Waldmann’s group and the interdisciplinary Chemical Genomics Center, we are confident that this innovative new partnership will result in exciting scientific findings, addressing chemical challenges primarily in the field of new modalities.”