Chimerix Acquires Lead Compound Library of Antiviral Agents from University of Michigan
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC, May 24 2006 - Chimerix, Inc., an emerging biotechnology company developing orally available antiviral therapeutics, announced today that it has acquired Dr. Leroy Townsend’s lifetime library of chemical lead compounds from the University of Michigan, including an option to all associated intellectual property.
The library, developed by Dr. Leroy Townsend, consists of lead candidates specifically designed toward key antiviral and oncology targets. Chimerix will incorporate promising candidates from the antiviral library into the company’s technology platform, which enables the development of drugs with enhanced chemical properties, including oral availability and facilitated delivery into targeted tissues. Additionally, Chimerix intends to license out promising oncology lead candidates to interested pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners.
“Dr. Townsend’s extensive and focused library will enable the company to quickly advance our drug discovery efforts,” said Dr. George Painter, Chimerix President and CEO. “The library contains unique nucleoside and heterocyclic compounds which when combined with our proprietary technology will result in new opportunities in the areas of antiviral and cancer therapy.”
Dr. Leroy Townsend’s library, developed at the University of Michigan, was the result of a lifetime of research into the design, synthesis and development of a broad range of compounds to target antiviral and oncology targets. The majority of Dr. Townsend’s research efforts focused on antimetabolites, an approach that has been successfully employed in the search for potent antiviral, antibacterial, antiparasitic and anti-cancer agents.
About Chimerix
Chimerix, Inc. is a privately held biotechnology company focused on the development of antiviral drugs. Chimerix’s lead antiviral program, CMX001, for the oral treatment of smallpox and complications from the smallpox vaccine is currently in late-stage preclinical development. Application of Chimerix's proprietary technology enhances oral availability, stabilizes drug in plasma, and facilitates the delivery of drugs into targeted tissues. Known drugs can be modified to improve dosing parameters, broaden therapeutic applications and decrease the risk of adverse reactions. Chimerix is applying its technology towards the discovery and development of oral drugs for the treatment of smallpox, cytomegalovirus infection, drug-resistant HIV infection and viral hepatitis. Chimerix was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in Research Triangle Park, NC.
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