U.K.-based CRO Sygnature Discovery is buying up fellow native life science services provider XenoGesis in order to boost its preclinical offerings.
The deal, financials of which were not disclosed, sees Sygnature go deeper into preclinical drug metabolism and pharmacokinetic (DMPK) services with its XenoGesis buy.
The CRO works on identifying the potential "winners" and "losers" in a selection of compounds synthesized in drug discovery campaigns.
The deal effectively doubles the size of Sygnature’s DMPK unit, which was first set up back in 2015. The two companies already have a close relationship, both being based in BioCity in Nottingham in the north of England and part of the U.K.’s growing life science sector.
This also comes two years after XenoGesis and BioAscent Discovery, another fellow BioCity resident, formed a pact to integrate their drug discovery offerings, including services in medicinal chemistry, biology and DMPK.
RELATED: Sygnature Discovery debuts expansion plans for its U.K. campus
“Sygnature and XenoGesis have always had a superb working relationship and been closely aligned in our culture and aspirations,” said Richard Weaver, Ph.D., CEO and founder of XenoGesis.
“From the start, both companies have focused on world-class science, insightful data interpretation, and creating genuine partnerships with our customers.
“Therefore, this step feels like a very natural one, and we are very excited about what we can accomplish together in helping accelerate our customers’ projects towards the clinic. My team and I are looking forward to joining forces with Sygnature.”