Vertex und Aurora: Kartellamt gibt grünes Licht - 500 Beiträge pro Seite

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Dem Merger der beiden Bioinformatik-Unternehmen Vertex Pharmaceuticals und Aurora Biosciences ist kartellrechtlich nichts entgegenzusetzen. Die zuständige US-Behörde hat am Freitag ihre Erlaubnis für den Ende April beschlossenen 592 Mio.$-Deal gegeben . Wenn auch noch die Aktionäre beider Firmen zustimmen, soll die Übernahme bereits im 3. Quartal 2001 vollendet werden.

Vertex das besonders auf dem Gebiet der Proteomics – der Erforschung der menschlichen Eiweiße – tätig ist, hat Aurora wegen seiner ausgereiften Forschungssysteme an Bord geholt. Durch die Erhöhung der Forschungskapazität erhofft man sich schnellere Fortschritte in der Medikamentenentwicklung.

Trotz der guten Nachricht geben die Papiere beider Firmen in einem schwachen Marktumfeld jeweils rund 1,5% ab.

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Consensus and Vertex Collaborate to Evaluate Selected Protease

Targets

MEDFORD, and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Privately-held Consensus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: VRTX) announced today they have entered into a collaboration whereby Consensus will provide Vertex with substrates and chemical analysis of the catalytic site requirements for 10 targets in the protease gene family. The agreement will also entail the cloning, production and kinetic assessment of novel protease targets.

The protease targets will be selected by both companies for their commercial relevance. Proteases are human enzymes that cleave other proteins. Proteases are active in many different biological pathways, and inhibition of protease activity by a small molecule drug may be a useful strategy in the treatment of a variety of diseases. Vertex has rights to develop and commercialize products resulting from this collaboration in exchange for which Consensus will receive certain research support and milestone payments. Financial terms were not disclosed.

"We believe that the information that we access through this collaboration will enhance our understanding of a number of targets in the protease gene family, and help to drive the discovery and development of potent new protease inhibitors," said John Thomson, Ph.D., Vice President of Research at Vertex.

"This collaboration represents an exciting application of our proprietary technology for the rapid identification of optimal substrates and for the development of comprehensive information about the structural requirements for interaction of proteins with the catalytic sites of novel enzymes," said John J. Nestor, Jr., Ph.D., President of Consensus.

With the successful sequencing of the human genome, the development of tools to assist in understanding gene function has become the next critical step of research and development efforts to identify and validate genes for drug discovery.

Consensus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Medford, Massachusetts, is a drug discovery company that makes use of its suite of functional proteomic technologies to provide rapid characterization of protein binding site requirements (enzyme and receptor) and to assist in pathway placement through bioinformatics. This information allows the rapid initiation of selective HTS assays and focusing of drug discovery programs. Additional technology has been developed to provide purified, functional G Protein-Coupled Receptors for a range of applications from crystallization studies to the identification of native ligands (de-orphaning) for new receptors for drug discovery.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated is a global biotechnology company. Vertex seeks to discover, develop, and commercialize major pharmaceutical products independently and with partners. Chemogenomics, Vertex`s proprietary, systematic, genomics-based platform, is designed to accelerate the discovery of new drugs and to expand intellectual property coverage of drug candidate compounds and classes of related compounds. This approach, which targets gene families, has formed the basis for several commercial collaborations that retain rights to downstream revenue for Vertex. Vertex`s first approved product is Agenerase(R) (amprenavir), an HIV protease inhibitor, which Vertex co-promotes with GlaxoSmithKline. Vertex has 12 drug candidates in development to treat viral diseases, inflammation, cancer, autoimmune diseases and neurological disorders.

This press release contains forward-looking statements about the expected impact of the collaboration, including Vertex`s ability to more rapidly identify lead compounds and enhance its intellectual property around novel chemical classes in its protease research program. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause Vertex`s actual results to vary materially. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, uncertainties relating to Vertex`s ability to successfully discover, develop, test, secure regulatory approval of and finance any of its current or future drug candidates. Vertex disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.