News | January 26, 2021

X‑Chem acquires IntelliSyn and sister company, AviSyn, to extend and streamline drug discovery service range

  • Acquisition allows X-Chem to offer a more comprehensive, integrated, screen-to-lead drug discovery process to pharma and biotech clients
  • IntelliSyn’s Founder and CEO Jeffrey Albert to join X-Chem management team

Waltham, Mass., US: Jan. 26, 2021 (Business Wire) – X-Chem, Inc. (X-Chem), the industry-leading provider of DNA-Encoded Library (DEL)-based discovery services, has acquired IntelliSyn, a Montreal-based drug discovery services company and its US-based sister company, AviSyn. The transaction will enable the Company to offer a complete, seamless solution for screening, hit validation and lead optimization on existing and new markets. Financial details of the deal have not been disclosed.

Leveraging a proprietary DEX platform with libraries containing over 200 billion small molecules, X-Chem discovers new drug leads for biopharma clients. IntelliSyn’s services will complement X-Chem’s service offering as an additional downstream part of the drug discovery process, primarily in the field of medicinal chemistry, custom synthesis and scale-up process chemistry, supporting lead optimization through candidate identification.

“The acquisition of IntelliSyn and AviSyn will allow us to significantly extend our capabilities to support drug discovery. This will result in a more streamlined offering to our clients. Fast drug discovery is essential in today’s biopharma industry and our new integrated offering will support our clients by accelerating this phase of their drug discovery journey,” said Matt Clark, Chief Executive Officer at X-Chem.

IntelliSyn’s Founder and CEO Jeffrey Albert will join the X-Chem management team.

“We are excited to join X-Chem and make real impact on our partners’ drug discovery efforts. IntelliSyn and X-Chem share a common dedication to innovation, quality, and scientific excellence. Together we will create a differentiated approach to drug discovery,” said Jeffrey Albert, Founder and CEO at IntelliSyn.

X-Chem’s proprietary DEL technology allows customers to screen billions of compounds simultaneously against a single biological target; faster than conventional high-throughput screening (HTS) methods. The Company has licensed over 70 research programs, comprising hundreds of novel chemical entities, to companies throughout the US, Europe, and Japan.

Fairmount Partners, an investment bank based in Philadelphia, PA, introduced the parties and provided investment banking advisory services to the shareholders of IntelliSyn and Avisyn.

Strategic Legal Inc., acted as lead counsel for the shareholders of IntelliSyn and Avisyn. Richter LLP and CFLA s.e.n.c.r.l. acted as the shareholders’ tax advisors.

Stikeman Elliott LLP provided legal advice, RSM Global provided tax, financial and accounting advice, Atlantic Global Risk Corporation provided insurance advice, and Freeman and Clarke, Inc. provided IT advice to X-Chem.

About X-Chem
X-Chem is the industry-leading provider of DNA-Encoded Library (DEL)-based discovery services. X-Chem has entered into drug discovery partnerships with numerous pharmaceutical companies, established and early-stage biotechnology companies, as well as research institutes and universities resulting in the licensing of hundreds of novel hits and leads across many target classes. X-Chem’s clients and licensees include AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Gilead, Janssen, Maruho, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Otsuka, Roche, Vertex, among others. For further information, please visit: www.x-chemrx.com 

About IntelliSyn and AviSyn
IntelliSyn is among the leading providers of medicinal chemistry support in North America.  Our team of experienced scientists (>80% PhD), at our state-of-the-art facilities in Montreal, specializes in identifying novel leads and optimizing them as successful clinical candidates for our collaborators across Major Pharma and Biotech.  We provide discovery support (computational chemistry, design, synthesis, and DMPK) where innovation, intellectual property security, and proven delivery-expertise are needed on an expert basis.  Our discipline expertise ranges across CNS, oncology, metabolic diseases as well as other specialized areas including structure-based design, GPCR modulators, and ion channel modulators. Avisyn is the US-based affiliate which provides medicinal chemistry support on an in-sourced basis.

Further information:

Instinctif Partners

Agnes Stephens – agnes.stephens@instinctif.com

Ross Gillam – ross.gillam@instinctif.com

Nick Corrin – nick.corrin@instinctif.com

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