Nanoform Finland (Nanoform), an innovative nanoparticle medicine-enabling company today announced that it has granted AstraZeneca Plc a global online STARMAP® license. STARMAP is a digital AI version of the CESS® technology that enables in-silico experiments to determine which molecules should be nanoformed. The license will enable AstraZeneca to screen molecules from drug discovery through to lifecycle management.

As part of this licensing agreement, Nanoform will receive access to compound libraries and large data sets to undertake STARMAP screening and propose innovative product development concepts and strategies in collaboration with AstraZeneca.

This comes after several years of early-stage collaboration between Nanoform and AstraZeneca and a successfully completed technology evaluation partnership including STARMAP® which has resulted in clinical candidate feasibility studies. STARMAP is well aligned with AstraZeneca's ambitious sustainability goals.

STARMAP Online has been created as a direct request from Nanoform's current and future partners who seek to maintain the level of confidence STARMAP® offers, while integrating it into their own in-house molecule-selection processes.  STARMAP Online creates the opportunity for clients to perform large numbers of in-silico CESS® experiments from their desktop.  This approach further supports Nanoform's green ambition by ensuring that Nanoform progresses the molecules with the greatest probability of success.

"External collaboration is fundamental to advancing medicines into the hands of patients that need them. By combining Nanoforms AI based STARMAP® approach and in-house nanotechnology expertise we can help to accelerate AstraZeneca's medicine development goals and support more patient- and planet-centric medicine development initiatives," said Christian Jones, Chief Commercial Officer of Nanoform.