INCY's version:
Tuesday October 5, 4:01 pm Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: Incyte Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Incyte and Millennium Enter Into Genomic Database and
Bioinformatics Partnership
Deal to Include Access to LifeSeq(R) Gold and LifeTools(TM)
PALO ALTO, Calif., Oct. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Incyte Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: INCY - news) and Millennium Pharmaceuticals,
Inc. (Nasdaq: MLNM - news) announced today that the two companies have entered into a genomics database partnership whereby
Millennium will gain access to Incyte's LifeSeq® Gold assembled database as well as Incyte's LifeTools(TM) data management
software. Incyte could receive future milestone payments and royalties on sales of products developed with Incyte technology and
database information. Financial terms were not disclosed.
LifeSeq Gold is a powerful platform for drug discovery, providing the best view of genes, their function, and their association with
important diseases. LifeSeq Gold integrates millions of Incyte novel gene sequences with public Human Genome Project data to provide
researchers with a comprehensive view of the genome. LifeSeq Gold is the first commercially available product to integrate large-scale
gene mapping results, full-length sequences, verified clone reagents, with world-class bioinformatics tools for analyzing and managing
information. The bioinformatics and software tools incorporated into LifeSeq Gold enable researchers to manage and process genomic
data within a comprehensive data management environment by leveraging on Incyte's bioinformatics products and services.
LifeSeq Gold currently has close to 5 million human sequences representing approximately 140,000 genes, including over 50,000 novel
genes not available in the public domain. There are currently more than 25,000 confirmed 5' complete and full-length gene sequences
contained in LifeSeq Gold, with thousands more being generated at Incyte each month. Incyte has in place a directed gene closure
program, whereby the most pharmaceutically relevant genes are targeted for high-throughput cloning, sequencing, and full-length
completion. LifeSeq Gold also provides researchers with access to nearly 200,000 sequence-verified clone reagents with more than
50,000 of these available on GEM(TM) gene expression microarrays.
The LifeTools data management software provides researchers with a scalable system for processing, storing, analyzing, and managing
both proprietary and public domain data. This enterprise-wide software provides scientists with extensive project management capabilities
to manage the explosion of genomic information, as well as the ability to track research projects, and easily share data with team
members directly from their desktop computers. LifeTools enables researchers to warehouse sequence and expression data from human,
animal, plant, microbial, as well as other biological research data.
''We are impressed with the content of the LifeSeq Gold database and with Incyte's plans to expand it further during the coming year,''
said Vincent Miles, Ph.D., Vice President of Business and Technology Management at Millennium. ''We believe the database will be an
important complement to our own proprietary database as we accelerate our search for novel drug targets.''
''Our agreement with Millennium represents a milestone in our efforts to broaden access to the LifeSeq Gold database to the
biotechnology market,'' said Roy A. Whitfield, Chief Executive Officer of Incyte. ''In light of Millennium's reputation for technology
leadership, we believe that other biotechnology companies will follow its lead and accelerate Incyte's expansion into this market.''
Millennium, a leading drug discovery and development company, employs large-scale genetics, genomics, high throughput screening and
informatics in an integrated science and technology platform. This innovative drug discovery platform is applied across the entire
healthcare sector, from gene identification through patient management, to accelerate and transform the discovery and development of
proprietary therapeutic and diagnostic products and services. Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Millennium and its affiliates
currently employ more than 800 people.
Incyte Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a leading provider of an integrated platform of genomic technologies designed to aid in the understanding
of the molecular basis of disease. Incyte develops and markets genomic databases, genomic data management software,
microarray-based gene expression services, related reagents and services. These products and services assist pharmaceutical and
biotechnology researchers with all phases of drug discovery and development including gene discovery, understanding disease pathways,
identifying new disease targets and the discovery and correlation of gene sequence variation to disease. For more information, visit
Incyte's Web site at www.incyte.com.
Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release, including statements as to Incyte's
accelerated expansion into the biotechnology market are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the ''safe harbor'' provisions
of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may
cause actual results to differ materially, including the ability of Incyte to sign new biotechnology customers; and other risks detailed from
time to time in Incyte's SEC reports, including its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 1999. These
forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. Incyte disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking
statements.
SOURCE: Incyte Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
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