BASEL, Switzerland, June 30, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Basilea Pharmaceutica AG announced today that it will receive funding as part of a European Commission programme for developing novel antibiotics through combinatorial biosynthesis. Basilea is a member of the Combigyrase expert consortium formed under the 6th Framework Programme of the European Commission. The consortium will receive 1.56 million Euros funding over three years to conduct its programme.
The target, gyrase, is a bacterial enzyme that has already been exploited by very successful antibiotics. Combinatorial biosynthesis is a novel technology to improve physicochemical properties and activity of naturally occurring compounds by genetic manipulation.
"We are very pleased that the proposal by our consortium received the highest evaluation score in a very competitive field of ten applications," commented Professor Jutta Heim, Chief Scientific Officer of Basilea. "Based on our integrated expertise in drug research and development, Basilea will be able to significantly contribute to this important research programme."
Professor Lutz Heide, the co-ordinator of the consortium added: "This consortium is an ideal platform to expand the diversity of potent gyrase inhibitors found in nature by methods of combinatorial biosynthesis. Close collaborations between industry and academic experts ensure optimal conditions for creating new drugs using innovative research approaches."
About the Consortium
In addition to Basilea Pharmaceutica AG, the other members of the Combigyrase consortium are the academic research groups of: Anthony Maxwell, John Innes Centre (United Kingdom); Manlio Palumbo, University of Padua (Italy); Andreas Bechthold, University of Freiburg (Germany); Lutz Heide, University of Tubingen (Germany); Jose Salas, University of Oviedo (Spain) as well as Combinature Biopharm AG, a privately held biotechnology company in Berlin (Germany).
About Basilea
Basilea Pharmaceutica AG (BSLN) is an independent biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Basel, Switzerland that is actively engaged in the discovery and development of innovative medicines for the treatment of unmet medical needs.
The company's fully integrated research and development operations are currently focused on new anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and dermatology drugs. Basilea was founded in October 2000 with significant resources to discover, develop and bring innovative medicines to market. Basilea is listed on the SWX Swiss Exchange.
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