Johnson Matthey, a provider of pharmaceutical services, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and catalyst technologies, and Domainex Ltd., a small-molecule drug discovery company, have entered a collaboration to provide integrated small molecule discovery and development services to pharma/biopharma companies and academia across the UK. The companies aim to provide effective, simplified, rapid and reduced risk target-to-lead identification, optimization, safety/toxicology, preclinical and clinical API supply services.
 
Through an integrated offering co-located in the Cambridge region, customers of Johnson Matthey Fine Chemicals’ Custom Pharma Solutions offering in Europe will have access to Domainex’s target-to-lead identification and optimization capabilities, and will then be able to transfer projects directly to Johnson Matthey, using its Pharmorphix solid state services for salt form and polymorph identification through to process development, scale-up and non-GMP toxicology manufacture.
 
“Johnson Matthey and Domainex have together recognised there is customer demand for simplified and effective drug discovery and development services. With our combined expertise and facilities based in Cambridge, UK, we are now able to offer customers significant value through this joint service offering,” said Antoine Bordet, European managing director at Johnson Matthey Fine Chemicals.
 
“The transition from drug discovery and candidate nomination into polymorph screening, pre-clinical toxicology and Phase I clinical development is a critical phase in the drug development process,” added Tom Mander, chief operating officer of Domainex. “We’re bringing together the necessary complementary people, skills and facilities with Johnson Matthey so that together we can offer an integrated and simplified solution spanning pharmaceutical discovery through to clinical development.”