Orbit Discovery, a peptide discovery company, entered a partnership with WuXi AppTec, a global provider of R&D and manufacturing services that will combine Orbit’s peptide discovery platform and experience with WuXi AppTec’s downstream capabilities. Orbit gains access to WuXi AppTec’s expertise in peptide optimization, peptide production and manufacturing to help its partners obtain clinically relevant data packs and materials in a rapid timeframe. Orbit will also use other WuXi AppTec capabilities, in particular cell line and assay development and biophysical analysis.
 

Incorporating these capabilities into the Orbit platform aims to enable functional assays to be developed against a wider range of targets, facilitating direct functional screens using novel bead-based technologies and microfluidics.
 

This is Orbit’s first strategic technology alliance since its formation in 2016. The partnership aims to deliver ground-breaking technology and broader capabilities to the Partners engaged in applying the company’s technology for the discovery of peptide therapeutic leads.
 

Dr. Neil Butt, Chief Executive Officer of Orbit Discovery, said, “We aim to move Orbit to the forefront of peptide discovery, and relationships such as this help us leverage expertise that would take far longer to grow organically. We see the partnership with WuXi AppTec as being a key relationship and a great asset to our current Partners, and Partners of the future.” He added: “We see particular value in the development and manufacturing platform of WuXi AppTec, that will enable us to generate peptides at small or large scale that incorporate chemical modifications to facilitate peptide optimizations and the journey towards a therapeutic candidate.”
 

“We are very pleased to have the opportunity to support Orbit Discovery and its research partners,” said Dr. Dave Madge, VP Discovery Services at WuXi AppTec. “We see substantial synergies between the Orbit technology for peptide discovery and our platform for optimization, characterization and manufacture of novel peptide therapeutics.”