Axordia, a spin-out from the
University of Sheffield that uses stem cells to help with conventional
drug discovery is looking for £1 to 2 million to continue pre-clinical
research on therapeutic applications and business development
activities.
Axordia, founded in 2001 by two Sheffield University professors, Peter Andrews and Harry Moore, owns patented technology that can improve the efficiency of cell production. It also has access to technologies that can provide a range of biomarkers to characterise cell types, differentiation states and monitor differentiation processes, the company says. It has so far generated more than £1 million in strategic collaborations, licensing and contract manufacture.
The company will initially design novel products that exploit the properties of stem cells and their derivatives as part of the drug discovery process. These products will both support and shorten the timeframe for Axordia’s development of therapeutic treatments for illnesses such as Parkinson's, diabetes and heart disease, it says.