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 iPS cells, is made possible through Horizon’s deep expertise in gene editing, and DefiniGEN’s world-leading iPS cell-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.”
About Horizon Discovery Group plc
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”.
About DefiniGEN Ltd
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 Yamanka induced pluripotent stem cell IP portfolio from iPS Academia Japan Inc.
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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
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Horizon and DefiniGEN collaborate to develop gene-engineered iPS-based cell lines
10 June 2015
Horizon Discovery Group plc, the international life science company supplying research tools and services that power genomics research and the development of personalised 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.