Aurora Biosciences Expands Technology Access Agreement With Pfizer
SAN DIEGO, March 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Aurora Biosciences Corporation (Nasdaq: ABSC) today announced that it has expanded its original 1999 Technology Access Agreement with Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) to include additional functionality for the Automated Master Compound Store, known as the AMCS. Aurora also announced today that Pfizer has exercised the option to license Aurora's GenomeScreen(TM) technology for assay development, specifically Aurora's retroviral vectors. Currently, under the original technology access agreement, Pfizer has access to Aurora's discovery technology, including certain proprietary fluorescent assay technology, its ultra-high throughput screening system, the UHTSS(TM) Platform, and the AMCS.
"We believe that Pfizer's decision to join Aurora's customers in expanding their access to Aurora's technologies highlights the value of Aurora's cutting-edge solutions in their search for new medicines," stated Harry Stylli, Ph.D., Aurora's senior vice president, commercial development. "Aurora's GenomeScreen technology provides our customers with a set of tools to rapidly, and in parallel, develop ultra-sensitive cell-based fluorescent assays. In addition, the additional flexibility of the AMCS will offer a more efficient method for global management of their compound inventory."
The AMCS is a modular compound storage system designed for long-term storage of chemical samples under environmental control. The AMCS is designed to offer global compound inventory monitoring systems to track compound location, utilization, expiration and availability. The system will also handle and store various types of containers such as vials, tubes, 96- and 384-well plates and the 3,456 well NanoWell(TM) Assay Plate. Other features of the AMCS include a semi-automated weighing subsystem to handle compounds in solid or powder form, automated subsystems for handling liquid samples, as well as an automated storage and retrieval system.
Aurora's GenomeScreen technology can be used to rapidly generate cell-based assays. The technology has other applications including gene discovery, target identification, and signal pathway elucidation. Beta- lactamase, the reporter gene used by Aurora in this process, has significant advantages over other reporter genes, including its sensitive fluorescence readout, enzymatic amplification and compatibility with miniaturized screening with living cells. Highly efficient fluorescence-activated cell sorting allows the rapid analysis and selection of useful clones from as cell-based assays.
Aurora designs, develops and commercializes advanced drug discovery technologies, services and instrumentation to accelerate the discovery of new medicines. The Company's core technologies include a broad portfolio of proprietary fluorescence assay technologies, including its GeneBLAzer(TM) and VIPR(TM) technologies; its functional genomics GenomeScreen(TM) program; its automated master compound store, the AMCS, and its ultra-high throughput screening system (UHTSS(TM) Platform) and subsystems to miniaturize and automate assays derived from those technologies within a computer-controlled integrated system, capable of searching through expansive libraries of compounds to identify those that might lead to new medicines. We believe our technologies have been commercially validated by over 15 major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, including American Home Products, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., Glaxo Wellcome, Genentech, Inc., Merck & Co. Inc., Pfizer, Inc., and Warner-Lambert, in the form of commercialization agreements for discovery services, licenses or instrumentation. For additional information on Aurora's services and products, please contact Sales and Marketing via email at marcom@aurorabio.com.
Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical are "forward-looking" statements which involve a high degree of risk and uncertainty. Such forward-looking statements include statements regarding the potential use of the GenomeScreen technology, Aurora's ability to successfully identify gene targets using the GenomeScreen technology, achievement of technical and scientific milestones and future performance of the AMCS, and the likelihood that commercial drug products may be developed under the collaboration with Pfizer, Inc. Such statements are only predictions and the actual events or results may differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to differences include risks involved with the Company's new and uncertain technology, risks associated with the dependence on patents and proprietary rights, risks associated with the drug discovery and development process, the ability to attract additional collaborative partners, dependence on existing pharmaceutical and biotechnology collaborations, and the development or availability of competing systems. These factors and others are more fully described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10K as amended for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1999, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For additional corporate information, visit the Aurora website at aurorabio.com.
UHTSS(TM) and GenomeScreen(TM) are trademarks of Aurora Biosciences Corporation.
SOURCE Aurora Biosciences Corporation
CO: Aurora Biosciences Corporation; Pfizer, Inc.
ST: California
IN: HEA BIO MTC
SU: LIC
03/27/2000 16:00 EST prnewswire.com |
