Cyclolab, a cyclodextrin research, development and manufacturing company, and EpiPharma, a bio-pharmaceutical services and peptide drug development company, have signed an agreement to form a joint venture specialty pharmaceutical company to develop and commercialize novel conjugated Cyclodextrin – Peptide drug candidates for the treatment of debilitating CNS and Pulmonary diseases.

According to the agreement, the new joint venture will be named Targetrin Therapeutics LLC (Targetrin). Both founding companies will own 50 percent interest in the joint venture.

Targetrin will develop novel drug candidates through the combination of novel cyclodextrin R&D and cGMP manufacturing capabilities of Cyclolab and EpiPharma’s proteomimetic peptide chemistry platform. Targetrin also has access to EpiPharma’s diagnostics and research facilities including various 3D animal and patient-derived organoid culture models (established from a wide range of organs such as colon, oesophagus, stomach, liver and pancreas, lung, etc.), and in vitro and in vivo disease modelling.

"Cyclolab is a pioneer and a global leader in cyclodextrin science. We are confident that our partnership with Cyclolab will bring about breakthrough, novel conjugated CD-Peptide therapies for unmet medical needs that will help many patients suffering from debilitating CNS and Pulmonary diseases," said Gábor Heltovics, president of EpiPharma.

"We are delighted to be working with EpiPharma, a unique company with state-of-the-art proteomimetic peptide chemistry science and comprehensive disease model diagnostic capabilities. This strategic collaboration is a tremendous opportunity to create novel discoveries leading to significant added value through new biological therapies,” commented Tamás Sohajda, CEO of Cyclolab.