MedImmune, NIST partner to advance drug discovery and manufacturing

MedImmune and NIST have inked a five-year agreement to this effect.

As per the terms of the agreement, MedImmune is providing first-year funding for seven NIST postdoctoral scientists, each working on a joint MedImmune/NIST research project.

MedImmune will also supply NIST with monoclonal antibodies and other proprietary materials needed by the researchers.

The MedImmune/NIST projects will seek to better understand mechanisms of action, structures and other biological and chemical principles useful in drug development, engineering and formulation, and help create measurement tools.

These projects include the development of a new, sensitive form of Raman spectroscopy, which is a technique that provides information about molecular vibrations that can be used to identify and quantify samples.

This will rapidly determine that proteins used in biopharmaceuticals are properly folded and able to interact with other molecules as intended.

MedImmune executive vice-president Bahija Jallal said: "MedImmune is committed to partnering with premier institutions that can translate strong science into patient benefit.

"NIST offers a unique expertise that can facilitate more precise, timely and innovative approaches to drug discovery, and being conveniently located with us in Gaithersburg, further supports the burgeoning life sciences community in Maryland."

The companies will also develop methods to produce three-dimensional structural maps with resolution at the atomic level for the largest class of proteins used for medical therapies, called monoclonal antibodies.

MedImmune/NIST project also researches on why some proteins used in biopharmaceuticals unfold during their manufacture at the molecular level, by using neutron beams.