The programme, which has the backing of Prime Minister David Cameron and Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, is designed to help high-growth businesses accelerate their growth and lay the foundations for their next major liquidity event. As part of the scheme, Horizon will have access to a programme of tailored support from both the public and private sector.
The Future Fifty programme is designed to help fast-growth companies scale more rapidly to reach their full potential. Companies with a significant UK presence are eligible to apply, from high-tech sectors as well as retail, finance, fashion, food and design.
“Horizon has expanded rapidly, achieving a CAGR of 128% since 2007, primarily driven from rapid growth in exports. The company has a team of over 80 employees operating from Cambridge supporting a global customer base approaching 1000 in number,” commented Darrin Disley, CEO, Horizon Discovery.
“We are delighted to have been selected to take part in this programme, following a rigorous application process. We see Future Fifty as a boost to our ambition of becoming a sustainable long-term UK success story and an exemplar to those aspiring to build companies based on life science research.”
About Horizon Discovery
Horizon Discovery Limited (Horizon) is a leading provider of research tools to support translational genomics research and the development of personalised medicines. Using GENESISTM, Horizon is able to alter any endogenous gene sequence of a human or mammalian cell-line quickly, reliably and without introducing unwanted and confounding genotypes and/or phenotypes.
Horizon has applied GENESIS to create over 500 X-MAN™ cell lines, the world’s first source of genetically-defined and patient-relevant human cell lines, accurately modeling the disease-causing mutations found in cancer patients. These ‘patients-in-a-test-tube’ are being used by academic and industry leaders to identify the effect of individual or compound genetic mutations on drug activity, patient responsiveness, and resistance, leading to the successful prediction of which patient sub-groups will respond to currently-available and future drug treatments. This enables the design of shorter, more focused, and less expensive clinical trials, ultimately providing the tools to identify the ‘right drugs’ for the ‘right patients’ based upon the unique genetic mutations that define their disease.
In addition to the X-MAN cell lines, Horizon provides GENESIS and X-MAN™ derived products and services, with industrial application in: bio-pharmaceutical process optimization; clinical diagnostic development; drug discovery & development; and the provision of reference standards for genomic-based clinical research platforms.
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Contacts:
At Horizon:
Dr. Darrin M. Disley, CEO
Email: d.disley@horizondiscovery.com
Media enquiries for Horizon:
Katie Odgaard
Zyme Communications
Tel: +44 (0)7787 502 948
Email: katie.odgaard@zymecommunications.com
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