Unlocking the Potential: pre–2001Archemix was originally founded with the aim of commercializing nucleic acid sensors for drug discovery. David Epstein, a biochemist with experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, paired up with Marty Stanton, a Brandeis biophysicist working on new designs for imaging instrumentation, and they began working on ways in which aptamers could be used for compound screening in the search for new small molecule drugs. At the same time, Andy Ellington, an early pioneer in aptamers at the University of Texas, and Ron Breaker, an expert in ribozyme engineering and investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at Yale University, were working to evolve RNA enzymes (ribozymes) that turn on in the presence of specific small molecule or protein targets. Understanding how the recognition properties of these 'molecular switches' could make them useful as molecular sensors for drug discovery, Archemix was thus founded with the intention of bringing together and commercializing the work of Stanton & Epstein and Ellington & Breaker. Leveraging Experience and Technology: 2001-2003In October 2001, Archemix moved from its original laboratory space at Brandeis University to new facilities at the Draper Laboratories building in Cambridge, MA. At approximately the same time, Archemix successfully licensed rights to the intellectual property portfolio of Gilead Sciences covering aptamers and the SELEX process for a wide variety of applications, including therapeutic uses. This portfolio included over 400 issued and pending patents resulting from work carried out at both Gilead and NeXstar in the 1990s. Our comprehensive patent estate established Archemix as the leading aptamer therapeutics company. Through late 2001 and 2002, Archemix evaluated opportunities with aptamers and ribozymes across a broad range of potential applications. With the strategic decision to focus on the discovery and development of aptamer therapeutics, Errol De Souza, Ph.D. was recruited in 2003 as Chief Executive Officer and President to lead the Company. As the Founder and former Chief Scientific Officer of Neurocrine Biosciences, and Senior Vice President responsible for U.S. drug discovery at Aventis, Errol brought significant biotechnology and large pharmaceutical leadership experience to Archemix. Under his direction, Archemix rapidly established and advanced a portfolio of aptamer therapeutic programs into clinical development. Achieving Our Vision: 2004-PresentBy the summer of 2004, Archemix had successfully completed IND enabling studies for an anti-thrombin aptamer previously discovered at Gilead Sciences (ARC183) and, together with its partner Nuvelo, initiated clinical development for applications in coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) procedures. Development of a second-generation molecule discovered at Archemix with significantly improved properties (NU172) continues today in an expanded partnership with Nuvelo. By 2006, Archemix had moved into a new facility at 300 Third Street in Cambridge, MA, focused its internal portfolio of programs primarily in the areas of cardiovascular disease, hematology and oncology, and advanced a second aptamer (ARC1779) targeting von Willebrand factor into clinical development as a novel, first-in-class, anti-platelet agent (see Products). From mid-2006 to early 2007, Archemix established multi-target, product-based alliances, with some of the world's leading biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies including élan, Pfizer and Merck Serono. These deals attest to the mounting interest in aptamers as an important new class of drugs, and validate our goal to be the leading aptamer therapeutics company. |
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