GENEFORMATICS/DE NOVO FORM DRUG DISCOVERY COLLABORATION.

GeneFormatics Inc., San Diego, Calif., and De Novo Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, U.K., have formed a collaborative drug discovery program to elucidate inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases, specifically the M10 family.

Matrix metalloproteinases are a family of naturally occurring enzymes involved in tissue growth and wound repair. Overproduction causes a number of disease states, including cancer and inflammatory disorders.

Under the terms of the agreement, GeneFormatics will utilize its proteomics technologies to identify all members of the M10 family of m