Zealand Pharma and PolyTherics collaborate for novel optimized biopharmaceuticals

Zealand Pharma, a Danish biopharmaceutical firm specialized in the discovery and development of peptide-based drugs and PolyTherics, a spin-out company from Imperial College London and the London School of Pharmacy in the UK have entered into a research collaboration for novel, optimized biopharmaceutical products.

Zealand has developed a number of peptide-based therapeutic candidates which are amenable to PEGylation. PolyTherics has broad capabilities in improving the duration of action of biotherapeutics using targeted PEGylation technologies. Both companies will contribute their respective expertise to defining the characteristics of PEGylated peptides as novel therapeutics.

This new research initiative, based on peptide candidates discovered by Zealand for the treatment of metabolic, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases, will be supported by funding from the EUREKA Eurostars program ( www.eurostars-eureka.eu). EUREKA Eurostars is the first European funding and support program to be specifically dedicated to SMEs (small to medium size entreprises), with funding support through the National and European Union 7th Framework Program. PolyTherics receives funding from the Technology Strategy Board in the UK, while the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation provides funding for Zealand.