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Orbit Discovery and WuXi AppTec sign agreement to access peptide discovery and optimization technologies

Orbit Discovery

WuXi AppTec’s development and manufacturing platform will enable Orbit to generate peptides at small or large scale that incorporate chemical modifications to facilitate peptide optimization

7 Mar 2022
Blake Forman
Content Creator

Industry news

Orbit Discovery (Orbit), a peptide discovery company has announced the commencement of a partnership with WuXi AppTec, a leading global provider of R&D and manufacturing services that enable the global pharmaceutical and healthcare industry.

Orbit will combine its leading peptide discovery platform and experience with WuXi AppTec’s downstream capabilities. Specifically, 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 utilize other capabilities within WuXi AppTec, in particular their expertise in cell line and assay development and biophysical analysis.

Incorporating these capabilities into the Orbit platform will 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 the first strategic technology link Orbit has penned since its formation in 2016. The partnership underlines the commitment of the new management team 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, commented: “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 optimization and the journey towards a therapeutic candidate.”

“We are very pleased to have the opportunity to support Orbit Discovery and its research partners” commented 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.”


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ProteomicsProteomics is the systemic bioinformatics study of proteins and amino acids, including their structure, size, function and identification. Tools used in proteomics include chromatography, blotting and gels, protein arrays, mass spectrometry and ELISA and associated analysis software. Analyzers and proteomic systems should be sensitive, high resolution, fast and may be automated for high-throughput.Assay AssemblyAssay Assembly is technique used in drug discovery to develop assays to test the cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, or other activities of a compound on a cell. Assay assembly requires chip assembly, a delivery system and a detection and analysis method. Beneficial features of assay kits or automated systems include high-throughput, high speed and sensitivity and low signal to noise ratio.Compound LibrariesCompound libraries, or chemical libraries, are used in drug discovery for the identification of potential therapeutics compounds. Used in conjunction with high-throughput screening, the libraries of stored compounds are often generated for specific purposes as a drug target or disease model. Cheminformatics are commonly used when designing a compound library and software can be used to analyze the screening process.  High-Content ScreeningHigh-content screening (HCS), also known as high-content analysis (HCA), is a high-throughput technique used in drug discovery to identify substances that alter the phenotype of cells. HCS uses fluorescent microscopic imaging and automated image analysis to investigate cellular events such as apoptosis, cell viability, GPCR activation, oxide production, neurite outgrowth, and cell signaling. Find the best fluorescent labeling reagents, cellular assays, and high-content imaging systems in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.Protein PurificationProtein purification is a vital step in drug discovery, therapeutics, biotech and life science research. The purification process typically involves subcellular or membrane protein extraction with cell lysis kits, separation of proteins from cell debris by filtration or spin columns, and the isolation of proteins of interest from other proteins and impurities with affinity purification (including fusion protein tags and antibody binding proteins A, G and L), immunoprecipitation or chromatographic methods, such as ion exchange, size exclusion and immobilized metal affinity chromatography. All purification methods come in multiple formats for your laboratory needs, including agarose or magnetic beads, resins, columns and filter plates. Find the best protein purification equipment in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.Protein CrystallographyProtein crystallization is the process of crystallizing purified proteins for 3D structure analysis by x-ray crystallography. The main methods of protein crystallization include sitting drop, hanging drop and microbatch. It is important to control parameters such as pH, temperature and concentration. Following crystallization, detectors and software are used for data collection and analysis.Discovery SoftwareComputational techniques used in both the chemistry and biology aspects of drug discovery, for data acquisition, processing and storage. Software is used for analysis of pathways, target identification, genomics, proteomics, modelling, lead identification, compound analysis and drug modelling among many others. BiopharmaceuticalsBiopharmaceuticals are proteins and other compounds (such as nucleic acids) produced by living organisms that have uses as therapeutics or for in vivo diagnostics. The most well known example of a biopharmaceutical product, and the first to be approved for therapeutic use, was recombinant human insulin.PeptidesPeptides are short chains of amino acids that play key roles in biological processes, including signaling, immune responses, and enzyme regulation. Peptide research is critical in drug discovery, diagnostics, and vaccine development. Browse our peer-reviewed product directory to find the best peptides and peptide-related products, compare options, check reviews, and get pricing directly from manufacturers.BiotherapeuticsBiotherapeutics are proteins and other compounds (such as nucleic acids) produced by living organisms that have uses as therapeutics or in <i>in vivo</i> diagnostics. The most well-known example of a biotherapeutic product, and the first to be approved for therapeutic use, was recombinant human insulin.Drug DiscoveryDrug discovery is the process of identifying potential new medications, involving stages such as target identification, compound screening, and preclinical development. It relies on cutting-edge technologies like high-throughput screening, artificial intelligence, and molecular modeling to accelerate the identification of drug candidates. Drug discovery plays a pivotal role in developing new therapies for diseases ranging from cancer to rare genetic disorders. Browse our peer-reviewed product directory to find the latest drug discovery technologies, compare options, check customer feedback, and get pricing directly from manufacturers.

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Orbit Discovery and WuXi AppTec sign agreement to access peptide discovery and optimization technologies