Scientists in contract with pharmaceutical company
Nov 14 2007 by Peter McCusker, The Journal
TWO university scientists are stepping into the business world after their pharmaceutical products were snapped up by an Ulster company.
Professor Gary Black, 41, and Dr Justin Perry, 38, both from Durham, joined forces in a new venture called Nzomics Biocatalysis and have signed their first commercial contract with Northern Irish pharmaceutical company Almac Sciences.
Northumbria University will take an equity stake in Nzomics when it goes alone in the new year – making it the first company to be spun out of the academic institution.
Nzomics produce customised enzymes for pharmaceutical companies, which replace the chemicals more commonly used.
Prof Black says: “We are delighted to be working with Almac Sciences, providing them with a diverse range of novel enzymes, called carbonyl reductase/alcohol dehydrogenase enzymes, which will be used in their drug-manufacturing process.
“There are two significant advantages of using enzymes in drug production, rather than the traditional chemical method.
“Firstly, it is much more environmentally-friendly as the traditional chemical method involves using acids and working at high temperatures, creating effluent, which can have an adverse affect on the environment.
“The second advantage is the real flexibility of enzymes. There are certain things you can’t do with chemistry alone and certain drugs you can’t make with traditional chemical methods. Enzymes can make changes in a way you can’t achieve with traditional chemical methods.”
Prof Black and Dr Perry are developing a catalogue of enzymes, using a process similar to the one used in DNA testing. Working with research and development manager Dr Meng Zhang, 28, they will produce pure enzymes in large quantities by isolating genes and then inserting them into a safe micro-organism for production.
Although used at the very early stages of drug production, the enzymes have already been used to produce a wide range of drugs that treat cancer and kidney disease, for example.
