Aptuit, a CRO based in Greenwich, Conn., and Axxam, a Milan, Italy-based discovery company with experience in target biology and a broad range of early phase discovery solutions, have announced a strategic alliance to provide comprehensive and integrated services from gene to high-quality candidates and beyond.

This partnership will allow the companies to offer the best-in-class fully integrated drug discovery and development services, supported by a culture of scientific excellence and innovation.

Jonathan Goldman, CEO, Aptuit said, "We serve biopharmaceutical companies in the discovery of small molecules in a broad range of therapeutic areas including neuroscience, oncology, infectious disease, inflammation, respiratory and others. Our alliance with Axxam is part of our growth strategy. This partnership broadens Aptuit's scientific excellence in advanced integrated discovery by leveraging Axxam's capabilities in early discovery. In particular, we are excited to enhance our hit identification, validation and expansion services. Expected benefits include increased probability of successful IND candidate nomination, reduced timeline and reduced cost."