Quantum Genomics, a biotech company developing new drugs for metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, has signed a partnership agreement with Inserm, the French national institute for health and medical research, Universities Paris Descartes and Paris XII Val-de-Marne.

The purpose of the agreement is to co-develop QGC002, a drug candidate for stroke and cardiac ischemia, according to the Jersey City, N.J.-based Quantum. QGC002 is a biological entity, a protein derived from discoveries by teams led respectively by Brigitte Onteniente, MD, at Inserm, and by Professor Alain Berdeaux of Paris XII.

Its mechanism of action suggests it could become the prototype of an anti-ischemic drug with a time window of neuroprotection and cardioprotection, Quantum said.

Under the terms of the agreement, Quantum will retain the right to acquire the intellectual property generated by Inserm. Quantum will fund and conduct preclinical development and drug manufacturing whereas Inserm’s teams will handle pharmacological studies in relevant animal models of the targeted diseases, according to Quantum.

Quantum said it aims to initiate a regulatory pre-clinical development phase in 2009.