DiVi Technology

The DiVi technology provides a novel and integrated HTS assay system for the discovery of anti-infective drugs that inhibit bacterial virulence mechanisms distinct from those targeted by conventional antibiotics. This novel approach to treating bacterial infection was recognised by the 2005 Committee Award in the area of Pathogenesis of Microbial Diseases given at the 45th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.

The technology, supported by robust intellectual property, models the highly challenging micro-environment that the human host provides to infecting bacteria. Because the compounds which show activity in this system address different targets than conventional antibiotics, they may be able to circumvent current modes of antibiotic resistance.

To date, two unrelated chemical series of compounds have been identified which show activity in validated in vivo models of infection and are the subject of current patent filings.

Discovery Technologies

Its expertise in discovery biology and unique natural products chemistry capabilities put MerLion at the forefront of new lead discovery in anti-infectives, oncology and metabolic disease.

MerLion’s natural products chemistry and compound isolation sets the international benchmark for the efficiency of novel compound isolation and characterisation from natural product samples. This capability provides MerLion with a significant advantage and represents a high barrier to entry for competitors or new market entrants. The group publishes regularly and their papers are cited frequently in the scientific literature.

Medicinal chemistry is a key capability in drug discovery because it provides the means by which promising bioactive compounds are optimised to drug-like candidates prior to clinical trials. These skills remain scarce and are highly valued within the industry. MerLion has an experienced group of such chemists, the majority of whom are PhD qualified and expert in the optimisation of naturally derived chemical templates; expertise which has been lost in many large companies.

MerLion has proven high throughput screening (HTS) capabilities which use technologies favoured by large pharmaceutical companies worldwide. The company has the capacity to test millions of samples per year against innovative new in-house and partnered drug targets. The company continues to invest in new technologies that will maximise the opportunity of new lead discovery.