BerGenBio has signed a contract with Sygnature Discovery for the preclinical development of a small molecule inhibitor against a novel target that mediates highly aggressive drug-resistant tumors. Preclinical selection is anticipated in 2014. Financial terms were not disclosed.

BerGenBio’s chief executive officer, Richard Godfrey, said, “In particular this previously ignored target has been shown to be an essential mediator in drug resistant melanoma and small cell lung cancer, and there is growing validation for a unique role in driving tumor epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and sustaining cancer stem cell traits. The target was discovered using our proprietary CellSelect RNAi screening technology and Sygnature’s role will now be to develop a highly selective pre-clinical candidate, tool compounds and back-up leads with unique IP.”

Dr. Simon Hirst, Sygnature’s founder and chief executive officer, said, “I am delighted that BerGenBio has selected Sygnature Discovery as its drug discovery partner. This is a challenging and exciting drug discovery program focused on an emerging novel target. Having considerable in-house oncology drug discovery knowledge and medicinal chemistry, computational chemistry and in vitro screening under one roof will enable us to accelerate BerGenBio’s BGB002 program towards preclinical development.”