Archemix, Isis team up on drug research

Archemix Corp. of Cambridge and Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc. have formed a strategic alliance to pursue aptamer drug discovery and development.

The alliance, the companies said today, provides Archemix access to some of the proprietary chemistries and analytical and manufacturing methods developed by Carlsbad, Calif.-based Isis.

Archemix is a biotechnology company focused on aptamers, which are short nucleic acid sequences that have the ability to disrupt interactions between proteins and have some similarities to antibodies.

According to Archemix, aptamers have the potential to offer significant cost advantages over monoclonal antibodies in treating a variety of diseases.
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)