Overview

Genaera Corp., formerly known as Magainin Pharmaceuticals Inc., is a biopharmaceutical company developing medicines from genomics and natural products for diseases, including obesity, infectious diseases, respiratory diseases and those involving angiogenesis.

It has two technology platforms based on respiratory genomics and drug discovery and natural product drug discovery. Genaera uses functional genomics to understand the genetic basis of disease and to develop potential drug leads to control the causes of disease at the molecular level.

It focuses on identifying pharmaceutically active compounds in the host-defense systems of animals, which include certain classes of naturally occurring peptides, such as magainins, and certain small molecules, such as aminosterols, which are used to provide a first line of defense against infection and may have activity against certain cancers.

This involves compound extraction, pathogenic and cancer activity evaluation, purification and structural biology analysis. Combinatorial chemistry is used to modify the molecules for biological activity or to increase stability.

Partners

Research collaboration and worldwide exclusive licensing agreement aimed at the development and commercialization of antibodies or recombinant molecules against interleukin-9: MedImmune Inc.

Collaboration for the discovery and development of novel genes and proteins as pharmaceutical targets and therapeutics: Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research.

Genaera also partners with McGill University.