DefiniGEN : Horizon Discovery社とのコラボレーション

Horizon DiscoveryグループとDefiniGENは、

遺伝子改変技術を導入したiPS由来細胞ラインを共同開発します

iPS由来の疾患モデル細胞の供給により、ユニークな研究ツールが提供されます

 

ケンブリッジ（イギリス） 2015年6月10日発表:

多様な遺伝子学的研究とパーソナル医薬に関する研究ツール、および関連するサービスをグローバルに展開するHorizon Discoveryグループ (LSE:HZD) と、幹細胞に関する製品とサービスを展開するリーダーであるDefiniGEN社は、遺伝子改変技術を導入した多様なiPS（人工多能性幹細胞）由来細胞を共同開発し、研究開発市場に提供していくことで合意したことを本日付で発表しました。

 

合意内容によりますと、Horizon社はiPS細胞に対し疾患遺伝子導入などの操作を行った後、DefiniGEN社において目的の細胞への分化誘導が行われます。本プロジェクトの初期段階においては、10種類のiPS由来の疾患モデル細胞を開発し、高品質な細胞製品として、現在十分な細胞が供給できていない創薬研究のマーケットに供給して行くことを目指します。最終的な細胞は、DefiniGENにおいて培養、分化誘導、品質保証に関するプロセスが行われ、細胞数等が均一化でありかつ改変された遺伝子に関する情報等が保証された製品として、研究市場に供給されます。製造された細胞および関連資材である培地類はDefiniGEN社から販売され、Horizon社と共同でマーケティング活動を実施します。

 

このパートナーシップでは、Horizon社の遺伝子改変技術に関する専門的な見識ならびにノウハウが活かされ、またDefiniGEN社における、代謝疾患モデルの先行開発を含む、世界最先端のヒトiPS細胞から分化誘導等に関する実績が活かされることになり、創薬開発を中心とした研究市場に新しい付加価値が提供されるものとして期待されます。

 

Horizon社のプロダクト・ビジネス・プレジデントであるDr. Paul Morrillは、「遺伝子改変技術は、iPS疾患モデル作成という新たな領域に入り、全く新しい研究ツールとして、今までにない手法で生物学的な問いに応えていくことが可能になる。DefiniGEN社とのパートナーシップにより、更に新しいツールが研究市場に提供されていくことを心待ちにしている」と評しています。

 

DefiniGEN社のCEO（最高経営責任者）であるDr. Marcus Yeoは、「この次世代のiPS細胞技術は、創薬研究における効率化と経済的なメリットをもたらすものであると同時に、現在までの技術では解決し得なかった根本的な病理メカニズムを解決できる可能性を有している」とコメントしています。

 

以上

 

（尚、本文書は英文原本を翻訳したものであり、内容が異なる場合は英文原本が優先されます。）

 

お問合せ（DefiniGEN）

松永昌之

Business Development Manager, DefiniGEN Ltd.

Tel: +81(0)90 9653 3295

Email: masashi@definigen.com

Horizon Discovery Group plc and DefiniGEN Announce Collaboration to Develop Gene-Engineered iPS-based Cell Lines

Cell lines will be used to create unique research reagents

 

Cambridge, UK, 10 June 2015: Horizon Discovery Group plc (LSE:HZD), the international life science company supplying research tools and services that power genomics research and the development of personalized medicines, and DefiniGEN Ltd, a leading provider of stem cell products and services, today announced their collaboration to develop a range of unique, gene-engineered iPS (induced pluripotent stem)-based cell lines for use in research.

 

Under the terms of the agreement, Horizon will perform genome engineering on the iPS cells, which will then be differentiated by DefiniGEN. The project will initially focus on generation of ten iPS-based cell lines for research in areas that currently lack high quality disease models. The resulting cell lines will be cultured, differentiated and quality controlled by DefiniGEN to ensure that scientists receive uniform cell populations suited to their experiments, alongside an isogenic control. The cell line reagents will be available through DefiniGEN and co-marketed by Horizon.

 

The partnership, formed to enable customers to exploit the power of genome editing in iPSC cells, is made possible through Horizon’s deep expertise in gene editing, and DefiniGEN’s world-leading iPSC-derived human cell production and metabolic disease modelling capabilities.

 

Dr. Paul Morrill, President, Products Business, Horizon, said: “Genome editing is now being applied to the generation of iPS disease models, creating an entirely new suite of research tools, enabling customers to ask important biological questions that were not easily addressed previously. We look forward to partnering with DefiniGEN on this project and developing a powerful suite of new tools.”

 

Dr. Marcus Yeo, CEO, DefiniGEN, commented: “These next-generation iPS cell products will help to improve the efficiency and economics of drug development, and enable the underlying mechanisms of disease to be elucidated in a manner that has previously not been possible.”

 

ENDS

Contacts:

 

For Horizon Discovery Group plc and DefiniGEN Ltd

Zyme Communications (Trade and Regional Media)

Katie Odgaard

Tel: +44 (0)7787 502 947

Email: katie.odgaard@zymecommunications.com

 

 

For Horizon Discovery Group plc

Consilium Strategic Communications (Financial Media and Investor Relations)

Amber Bielecka / Mary-Jane Elliott / Jessica Hodgson / Matthew Neal

Tel: +44 (0) 20 3709 5701

Email: horizon@consilium-comms.com

 

 

About Horizon Discovery Group plc www.horizondiscovery.com/

Horizon is a revenue-generating life science company supplying research tools to organizations engaged in genomics research and the development of personalized medicines. Horizon has a diverse and international customer base of over 1,000 organizations across nearly 50 countries, including major pharmaceutical, biotechnology and diagnostic companies as well as leading academic research centers. The Company supplies its products and services into multiple markets, estimated to total in excess of £29 billion by 2015.

 

Horizon’s core capabilities are built around its proprietary translational genomics platform, a high-precision and flexible suite of gene editing tools able to alter almost any endogenous gene sequence of human or mammalian cell-lines. Horizon offers over 16,000 products, almost all of which are based on the application of gene editing to generate cell lines that accurately model the disease-causing mutations found in genetically based diseases. These ‘patients-in-a-test-tube’ are being used by customers to identify the effect of individual or compound genetic mutations on drug activity, patient responsiveness, and resistance, which may lead to the successful prediction of which patient sub-groups will respond to currently available and future drug treatments.

 

In addition, Horizon provides rAAV, ZFN and CRISPR gene editing tools, custom cell line and in vivo model generation services for research and bioproduction applications, quantitative molecular reference standards, in vivo disease models, contract research and custom screening services and custom shRNA development services and off-the-shelf validated shRNA (through Horizon’s partner Sirion).

 

Horizon is headquartered in Cambridge, UK, and is listed on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM market under the ticker “HZD”, for further information please visit: www.horizondiscovery.com.

 

 

About DefiniGEN Ltd http://www.definigen.com/

DefiniGEN was founded in 2012 to commercialise OptiDIFF, the stem cell production platform developed at the University of Cambridge, UK. The Company has world-leading expertise in the area of iPSC-derived human cell production and metabolic disease modelling. The application of these technologies in drug discovery provides pharmaceutical companies with more predictive in vitro cell products enabling the development of safer and more effective treatments. In addition, the technology platform utilises fully defined and humanised conditions required for the development of regenerative medicine cellular therapies. DefiniGEN builds on intellectual property and knowledge resident at the University of Cambridge Regenerative Medicine Department at Addenbrooke’s Hospital and has in-licensed the Yamanaka induced pluripotent stem cell IP portfolio from iPS Academia Japan Inc.