Synthematix Inc. and Advanced Chemistry Development Labs of Toronto Canada, say that integrating their two software programs to help researchers evaluate chemical data is a good marriage.
Synthematix Chief Operating Officer Tom Laundon tells Local Tech Wire, “Both of us think we’re best of breed, and together we’re even more powerful.”
The two companies announced this week that they will collaborate to make their respective software programs work together seamlessly.
Laundon explains why: “There are two key groups of chemists – synthetic and analytic.” Synthetic chemists make new compounds, while analytic chemists determine what combinations of elements in what amounts make up compounds.
“This is a marriage of the two disciplines,” Laundon says. “ACD/Labs is very sophisticated in its ability to manipulate, recast, and explore data from analytical data instruments such as nuclear magnetic resonance machines, infra red and mass spectrometry.
“Synthematix’ software – called the Arthur Suite – is designed to help synthetic chemists plan their experiments.”
Using Arthur, synthetic chemists can search, model, mine and save synthetic reactions and their associated experimental procedures.
Analytical chemistry helps synthetic chemists determine if they actually made the specific chemical compound with the specific chemical properties that they thought they did. ACD/Labs’ ACD/SpecManager provides chemists with tools to process, predict, and manage analytical data in a variety of formats.
Predicting results
Robin Y. Smith, founder and chief technical officer at Synthematix says, “They are a market leader in predictive analytical chemical software solutions. Synthematix offers a comprehensive environment for searching and planning chemical reactions. The ability to access actual spectral data through ACD/Labs’ software is tremendously important to the synthetic chemist as he or she plans their reactions using our Arthur software.”
Laundon gives an example of what the programs actually do: “If I’m a chemist, I think I’m going to make compound B, which is similar to compound A,” he says. “I predict what the analytical results will be and compare the prediction to the actual results. That lets me know if I did what I thought I did.”
The two software programs working together will make it much easier for chemists to make those predictions and test them accurately while still in the lab.
“It’s crucial in the biotech and pharmaceutical environment to know what you actually made. Even subtle differences can be hugely important down the line,” says Laundon.
A company developing a new drug compound, for instance, “needs to make these determinations before they move from the lab to clinical experiments with animals,” he explains.
Laundon says the deal with ACD is collaboration with no money exchanging hands.
Synthematix, which is raising a B round of an undisclosed amount, has 15 employees.
The company has six active customers, including Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Duke University, Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Plexxikon Inc., and Inspire Pharmaceuticals.
Laundon says having potential biotech customers in the Triangle such as Duke University and Inspire, has been helpful. “We’re talking to a number of other local companies,” he says.
Synthematix: www.synthematix.com
