AstraZeneca and Korea-based CrystalGenomics have entered into a research collaboration to discover and develop a novel anti-infective for use as a potential antibacterial agent. CrystalGenomics will receive research funding from AZ for two years and will be eligible to receive future milestones and royalty payments associated with development and commercialization of a drug candidate. Financial terms were not disclosed.

CrystalGenomics will use its structure-based drug discovery platform technology to optimize selected novel scaffolds from AZ’s compound library against an antibacterial target, which has been validated by AZ. Both companies will perform in-vitro enzyme and cell based assays, structure determination, medicinal chemistry, pharmacokinetic studies, toxicology tests and pharmacological evaluations. AZ will be responsible for preclinical and clinical development and commercialization.

Les Hughes, AstraZeneca’s vice president of Infection Discovery, said, “AstraZeneca is building a leading franchise in the treatment of infectious diseases, both through our own in-house research as well as collaborations such as this partnership with CrystalGenomics. Infectious disease remains a serious world health problem and AstraZeneca is committed to finding therapies that will tackle a wide range of serious infections afflicting mankind.”