New Fragment-based Drug Discovery Libraries announced in a commercial collaboration between IOTA Pharmaceuticals Ltd (Cambridge, UK) and Vitas-M Laboratory (Moscow, Russia)

IOTA Pharmaceuticals Ltd, based in Cambridge, UK, and Vitas-M Laboratory Ltd, based in Moscow, Russia, have joined forces to design and market the next generation of fragment-based drug discovery libraries for early-stage drug discovery.

The IOTA Pharmaceuticals - Vitas-M Laboratory collaboration couples IOTA Pharmaceuticals analysis and screening platforms to Vitas-M Laboratory's established chemical synthesis capabilities, to produce a new 4,000-component fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) screening set. This fragment set is being distributed by both companies immediately.

Access to a diverse set of FBDD library compounds enables the rapid progression of new discovery programs from concept to optimised lead, as described in detail on the IOTA website.

Dr David Bailey, heading IOTA, commented "Fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) is a fast, efficient and productive route to NCE discovery. Our combined technologies offer an extensive and reasonably-priced lead discovery tool kit for our pharma and biotech customers."

Vitas-M Laboratory is a specialist organic chemistry company which synthesises drug compounds for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology screening markets. For more information about Vitas-M Laboratory, please visit www.vitasmlab.com .