Sygnature Discovery Formalizes DEL Screening CRO Collaboration With X-Chem to Widen Hit-Finding Options for Drug Discovery Programs

• Sygnature Discovery, a leading integrated drug discovery CRO headquartered in Nottingham, UK, has established a formal collaboration with X-Chem, a pioneer in DNA-encoded library technology, to integrate DEL screening directly into Sygnature-led drug discovery programs — giving project teams a single integrated program spanning target protein production, DEL selection, hit validation, and medicinal chemistry optimization without the need to manage multiple external providers.

• The collaboration adds X-Chem’s DEL platform — underpinned by more than 15 years of library design and selection science expertise, eight clinical candidates discovered through DEL programs, and simultaneous evaluation of billions of DNA-tagged compounds against biological targets — to Sygnature’s existing hit-finding toolkit alongside affinity selection mass spectrometry, fragment screening, and high-throughput screening.

Sygnature Discovery, a leading integrated drug discovery CRO, has established a formal collaboration with X-Chem, a data-driven drug discovery company and pioneer in DNA-encoded library technology, to support the delivery of DEL screening within Sygnature-led integrated drug discovery programs, effective August 2026. The collaboration formalizes a relationship in which DEL screening has long formed part of Sygnature’s broader hit-finding strategy — providing project teams with structured, integrated access to X-Chem’s DEL platform, selection science, and data analysis within a single CRO-managed program workflow.

DEL screening enables billions of DNA-tagged small molecules to be evaluated simultaneously against a biological target. Compounds retained during selection are detected by sequencing their DNA tags, generating rich datasets that reveal patterns of enrichment across related chemical structures — patterns that, combined with intentional library design and rigorous selection science, can identify promising chemical starting points and guide subsequent medicinal chemistry decisions. X-Chem has spent more than 15 years developing and refining this approach, with eight clinical candidates discovered through its DEL programs demonstrating the platform’s ability to deliver chemistry that advances from hit identification through to clinical development.

For CRO clients running drug discovery programs at Sygnature, the collaboration’s primary operational benefit is integration. Previously, accessing DEL screening alongside Sygnature’s protein science, biology, and medicinal chemistry capabilities required managing separate vendor relationships and coordinating data and compounds across organizational boundaries. Under the new collaboration, DEL screening can be incorporated directly into Sygnature-led programs — from target protein production through screening, hit validation, and optimization — with X-Chem providing its platform and expertise within a single project management structure. The model removes the need for clients to independently source and manage DEL capabilities, reducing coordination burden and enabling more seamless transitions between hit-finding and hit-to-lead phases.

The collaboration is particularly relevant for programs targeting difficult or undrugged protein classes where the scale and chemical diversity of DEL approaches offer advantages over traditional screening methods. DEL screening is most effective when paired with deep understanding of target biology and thoughtful selection science — strengths that X-Chem brings directly to Sygnature-led programs. The collaboration extends Sygnature’s recent investments in AI-enabled drug discovery, including its earlier collaboration with DaltonTx and continued development of its SygDesign computational chemistry platform, as part of a broader strategy to offer clients the most appropriate combination of technologies for each specific target and program.

“We are continually looking to tailor our hit-finding strategies to the specific needs of each target and ensure our customers can access the most appropriate technologies for their programs. DEL screening has been an important option within our hit-finding strategy for many years, and as a pioneer in the field, X-Chem brings deep specialist expertise. Formalising our relationship with them allows us to provide an even more streamlined and integrated experience for customers.”

Rick Davies, Director of Protein Sciences and Structural Biology, Sygnature Discovery