HitGen announced that it has entered into a research collaboration agreement with Dorian Therapeutics, a private biotechnology company developing senoblockers, a new class of therapeutics that can rejuvenate cells and tissues. HitGen will apply its platform technology, based on the design, synthesis and screening of DNA-encoded libraries (DEL) to discover compounds that bind to certain targets that are of interest to Dorian. Under the terms of the agreement, HitGen will receive an undisclosed upfront payment and will be eligible for milestone payments from Dorian.

HitGen is a world leader in the development of the DEL technology and applications to early-stage small molecule drug discovery. The availability of over 1 trillion small molecules generated by the DEL technology and the efficiency of the screening process have made it possible for HitGen to enable drug discovery projects for many organizations around the world.

“We look forward to working with Dorian to identify novel small molecule starting points from DNA-encoded libraries. We will work closely with Dorian scientists to generate new lead compounds for their research programs to address unmet medical needs associated with aging.” said Dr. Jin Li, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of HitGen.

“We are excited to enter this collaboration with HitGen, a world leader in DNA-encoded library technologies. HitGen’s formidable DEL platform that features over 1 trillion small, drug-like molecules has been widely used by leading global pharmaceutical and biotech companies, and we believe that HitGen would be a perfect partner for us in discovering and developing new therapeutics for age-associated diseases,” said Maddalena Adorno, PhD, Dorian’s Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer.