AXYS Pharmaceuticals

About AXYS Pharmaceuticals

AXYS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of small molecule drugs. It was formed in January 1998 through the merger of Arris Pharmaceutical Corp. and Sequana Therapeutics. The company's strategy centered on integrating genomics, bioinformatics, and medicinal chemistry to identify and develop therapeutics for a variety of diseases, with a primary focus on cancer and autoimmune disorders.

The company utilized a structure-based drug design technology platform to target proteases, which are proteins that initiate key biological processes. This approach, combined with genomics technologies acquired from Sequana, aimed to uncover the genetic causes of common diseases and translate those discoveries into new drugs. AXYS established research and development partnerships with major pharmaceutical companies, including Merck, Bayer AG, and Bristol-Myers Squibb, to advance its programs in areas such as osteoporosis, asthma, cardiovascular disease, and hepatitis C.

Under the leadership of Chairman and CEO John Walker, AXYS pursued a strategy of creating value through spin-out businesses. In May 1998, it formed Xyris Corp., an agricultural biotechnology subsidiary. This was followed in February 1999 by the creation of PPGx, Inc., a majority-owned subsidiary focused on pharmacogenomics, in a joint venture with PPD, Inc. In 2000, AXYS sold its combinatorial chemistry subsidiary, Axys Advanced Technologies, to Discovery Partners International for approximately $60 million in stock.

In November 2001, AXYS Pharmaceuticals was acquired by Celera Genomics, a company known for its work in sequencing the human genome.