ISRAEL'S BIOLINERX SIGNS IN-LICENSING DEALS FOR NEW COMPOUNDS

Israeli drug development company BioLineRx has in-licensed new compounds identified by researchers at Israeli universities and companies. According to BioLineRx, the compounds are BL-1030, an L-selectin inhibitor for treatment of inflammatory bowel disease; BL-1050, a compound to slow propagation of the AIDS retrovirus within patients; and BL-1020, a new technology for treatment of chemotherapy-resistant tumours. Trials on a further product, BL-1040, conducted by researchers at the Ben Gurion Univeristy of the Negev, indicated that the polymer-based compound reduces cardiac damage after heart attack.

The drugs will now be developed through the company's preclinical research unit, BioLine Innovations Jerusalem, and are being funded under an Israeli government scheme. However, research sources on BL-1040 have claimed that the candidate drug will require further investment of some US$9mn to it through clinical trials.