International deal for Phylogica

SUBIACO-BASED drug discovery firm Phylogica has announced an agreement with Europe’s largest pharmaceutical company, Roche, to evaluate the firm’s disease-attacking technology.

Phylogica has the intellectual property rights to a unique collection of proteins called phylomers, which are focused on developing therapies for the treatment of inflammatory diseases such as asthma, acute stroke damage, and diabetes.

Other applications for the technology include targeting the protein interactions present in infections, cancer cells, autoimmunity deficiencies and heart disease.

The technology is the brainchild of WA Business News 40under40 winner and Phylogica chief scientific officer Paul Watt, inventor of the Funhaler, a device designed to make taking preventative asthma medication ‘fun’ for children.

Mr Watt said the agreement with Roche would enable the technology to be developed for further applications.

“Biologics such as peptides and proteins constitute the fastest growing market for pharmaceuticals,” Mr Watt said in a statement.

“While there has been great success with these drugs in hitting the disease targets outside of cells, we will be working to hit the plethora of potential targets that exist within cells.

“This is a very exciting collaboration where we will be working at the cutting edge of drug discovery in a space which could open up an enormous range of new targets and potentially lead to new treatment options for patients.”

Phylogica also recently collaborated with international specialty pharmaceuticals firm Aegis Therapeutics to develop a nasal spray to deliver phylomer peptides as an alternative to than direct injection.

Formed in 2001, Phylogica listed on the ASX in 2005. In 2007, it diversified into therapies including a program to treat brain injury and stroke.