PolyTherics, a UK-based biotech company that develops peptide and protein-based drugs, has announced the acquisition of Warwick Effect Polymers (WEP), the developer of Speciaity Polymers and Biopolymers.
The Chief Executive Officer of PolyTherics, John Burt expressed his delight at the acquisition by stating that PolyTherics will expand its technology capabilities and offerings to provide the best biopharmaceutical technologies for the benefit of patients.
The Founder and Chief Technology Officer of WEP, Professor David Haddleton stated that by combining the advanced technology of PolyTherics with the specialty polymer technology of WEP will open several prospects and opportunities along with effective package for their partners.
GlycoPol and PolyPEG and the two proprietary biopolymer-based technologies are designed to increase the circulatory half-life and decrease dosage frequency by improving biological therapeutics. Both the biopolymer technologies are based on the work of Professor David Haddleton of the Warwick University and utilize living radical polymerisation. GlycoPol is a glycopolymer capable of targeting aptamer molecules and RNAi to particular glycan receptors. PolyPEG is a low viscosity, comb-shaped polymer capable of prolonging the period of action of biopharmaceuticals.
PolyTherics has developed three precision conjugation technologies – CyPEG, HiPEG and TheraPEG that can be used for attaching molecules of the polyethylene glycol to therapeutic proteins or peptides, thus producing antibody drug conjugates. The PEGylation chemistries of PolyTherics require significantly less PEG (polyethylene glycol) than conventional methods, thus reducing the manufacturing cost and increasing the efficiency of the product.