Sandford Burnham and Daiichi Sankyo Collaborate on Targets for Cardiovascular-Metabolic Diseases

Research firm Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute and Japanese drugmaker Daiichi Sankyo have entered into the three-year alliance to develop first-in-class treatments for cardiovascular-metabolic diseases, the organizations said yesterday.

The alliance aims to “bridge the gap between target discovery and pre-clinical drug development,” according Daiichi Sankyo.

The collaboration will include identifying, validating and screening new novel drug tests, while also looking at new mechanisms of the disease. The initial identification and validation will be conducted by Sandford Burnham scientists in the Daiichi Sankyo facilities, and later screenings to identify drug targets will occur at both facilities.

Dwight Towler, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Cardiovascular Pathobiology Program at Sandford Burnham, said alliance aims to meet “a critical unmet medical need worldwide.”

Masahiko Ohtsuki, corporate officer and global head of research at Daiichi Sankyo described the alliance as a unique and innovative early-stage drug discovery collaboration. “The cardiovascular-metabolic area is a key priority for Daiichi Sankyo and we have found a strong, strategic partner in Sanford-Burnham.” — Harry Morrison

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