Metrion Biosciences, a specialist ion channel CRO and drug discovery company, and Concept Life Sciences, the business formed in 2014 to break into the international integrated discovery & development and analytical markets, have announced a strategic alliance to provide pharmaceutical clients with fully integrated medicinal chemistry and biology research services for ion channel drug discovery.

The agreement brings together Metrion’s expertise in ion channel assay development, validation and compound screening with Concept’s strength in providing medicinal chemistry, analytical chemistry, in-vitro ADME assays and investigational toxicology services. Combined with Metrion’s recently announced alliance with Assay. Works, the partnership provides an ’end to end‘ service for pharmaceutical clients wishing to conduct new ion channel targeted drug discovery projects.

Ion channel dysfunction is increasingly recognized as a key factor in the pathogenesis of many chronic and difficult to treat diseases. The combined specialist team presents a unique opportunity in contract research, to collaborate with Metrion from an initial hit finding high throughput screen to nomination of a development candidate.

Metrion and Concept will jointly promote the new service, and it will also be made available to existing clients of both companies. Financial terms are not disclosed but the partners will share revenues and potential milestone success payments from the contract research projects. The partners are also prepared to offer risk sharing arrangements to clients.

Dr. Andrew Southan, head of Commercial Operations at Metrion Biosciences, said, “We are delighted to be working closely with Concept and are impressed by their capabilities. Concept has an excellent track record in discovery and development science, and acquired its highly experienced medicinal chemistry team from Pfizer, U.K. Through this strategic alliance, Metrion is able to initiate and manage high quality integrated drug discovery projects on behalf of pharmaceutical clients interested in addressing some of the exciting, recently identified, ion channel disease targets.”

Dr. Paul Doyle, group chief scientific officer, Concept Life Sciences, commented, “Metrion’s high level of expertise in ion channel drug discovery is an ideal match for Concept. We have built an organization that delivers one of the widest ranges of chemical and analytical services available in Europe, and we are now pleased to also be working alongside the scientists at Metrion.”